Crimson Roses
by JedimasterSheelal
Summary: Why do Garuru and Giroro hate each other? Or is the rivalry only skindeep? The insight to the ribbiting rivalry from Garuru's POV.
1. Welcome home, Giroro

The early morning sun rose over Keron to rest on my face, causing the glare to hit my angry-looking yellow eyes. I shrieked in pain, waving my fist in a futile attempt to stop the glare. In fact, I knocked over my glass of orange juice; it flooded the already messy kitchen table, invading my homework and staining my purple backpack. "Shit!" I swore, knowing that if my father heard that, I would be flayed alive.

"Garuru!" My father's deep voice boomed from his study.

I jumped out of my skin. _Am I in trouble? _I thought worriedly. Father's wrath, when ignited, could scare a full-grown, battle-hardened soldier.

"You can't sleep over at the twins' house tonight," he commanded.

I let out a deep breath of relief. "Why not?" I asked meekly, trying not to sound too defiant.

"Your mother is coming home today. I want you to be home from the twins' house early. I don't care if the twins are taking a long time to say goodbye," father demanded as he marched from his study.

I finished packing my backpack. "Yay! Mom's finally coming home!" I exclaimed, excited. I ran around the kitchen table. "What is his name? What color is he? Please tell me, dad!"

Father chuckled. "Garuru, I think he's red. Anyway, his name's Giroro."

I stopped in my tracks. "Giroro. That's a boring name," I complained. "I thought mom would have picked something more exciting."

"Maybe, Garuru." Father placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm off to work. Have fun at the twins', okay?"

I saluted. "Garuru, reporting for duty!"

Father patted my head. "That's my son," he said proudly, and, picking up his briefcase, nodded farewell. He slammed the door shut.

"Garuru! Come on! Let's go!"

The twins had finally arrived.

"Garuru! Hurry up!"

I dashed out. "Hey, Zeruru, Zaroro!"

"How are you doing?" the twin blue Keronians asked in unison. "And can you sleep over?"

"Sorry, I can't," I apologized. "Family business. I need to be home by three."

Zaroro looked downcast. "That's okay. You still get to meet our little bro. Zeroro is so cute!" Her big, sky-blue eyes widened exponentially.

Zeruru seemed nonplussed. "He is _not _cute. He's annoying."

Garuru shook his head. "Stop fighting, you two. Let's go."

000

We trudged up the very long drive to the twins' mansion. It was a warm, dry day and we were baking in the lack of humidity. "I think we'll stay inside today," Zaroro puffed.

"Hey, at least I have all those toys new from Pokopen. I have a Rubik's cube!" Zeruru exclaimed in a sing-song voice.

"Garu. What is a Rubik's cube?" I wondered aloud.

Zaroro and Zeruru stared at me momentarily—sometimes they forgot that my family was poor compared to them. "A Rubik's cube is a puzzle where you have to match all the colors on one side. It's hard, but Zeruru's good at it. I think he'll be a spy in the Keron army when he's older."

"And what do you want to be, Zaroro?" I inquired.

"I want to go into the medical corps," Zaroro replied. "And you, Garuru?"

"I want to be a sniper!" I declared.

"And from the way you handle the BB gun," Zeruru responded, "You could be one."

The twins' mother, Domota, greeted us in the entryway. "Hello, Garuru-kun."

"Good morning, Domota-san," I replied politely.

A little blue tadpole peeked out from behind Domota's skirts. "Zero," he squeaked.

Zaroro picked up her brother. "Garuru, meet Zeroro."

"Zero," Zeroro squeaked again.

"Can I hold him?" I asked. I couldn't resist. The little blue Keronian was adorable.

"Zero."

Zaroro caressed Zeroro's head before she passed him to me.

"Zaroro, Zeruru—can you watch Zeroro while I get food for lunch? We're running low," Domota asked after an agonizingly long silence.

"Sure," Zeruru answered. Once Domota was out of earshot, he added. "Come on, guys, let's do a chant. We haven't done our resonance for a long time."

"Garu garu garu garu," I began.

"Zaro zaro zaro zaro," Zaroro came in.

"Zeru zeru zeru zeru," Zeruru joined in.

And in the mingled voices, there was a high pitched "zero zero zero zero."

We burst out laughing. "You're right, Zaroro. Your little brother is cute," I choked out.

We walked up the marble stairway towards the playroom. I, as I always did, marveled over my friends' wealth. The crystal chandelier loomed over the dining room and the tiled floor glittered under our feet. "So," I said, to break the uneasy silence, "you said you got in some new stuff from Pokopen."

"Yes!" Zaroro replied. "A toy called a slinky. They're like coils and—monkeys in a barrel, and wind-up battleships."

"What is a monkey?" I asked, feeling really stupid.

"It's a Pokopenian animal," Zeruru answered. "Curious-looking animals, that's for sure."

We entered the playroom to find toys littered all over the floor. "Zeroro, were you in here?" Zaroro asked, shaking her head.

"Zero."

"Can he say nothing but 'zero'?" I snorted. The little chanting of 'Zero zero zero' was getting on my nerves.

"If we say Garuru enough, he'll start chanting Garu," Zeruru retorted. "Is that what you want, Garuru?"

"Garu," Zeroro said simply.

"Great, just great. I hope Giroro isn't like this," I groaned.

The twins looked back at me. "Who's Giroro?"

"My little bro. He's red—and cute. But not as cute as Zeroro," I said quickly.

"Garu," Zeroro peeped.

000

Around 2:30 Keron time, we sat drinking dekopon juice in the sunlit garden. "I'll have to head home soon," I said, regretfully. "Mom's finally come home."

"After what? Like, two months?" Zeruru asked.

"Take some of the roses in the garden for her. They're full in bloom right now," Zaroro added. "Your mother will surely appreciate them." She grabbed the pruners. "What color? Red or blue or purple?"

"Red. That's the color of Giroro," I replied.

Zeroro looked longingly at the blue rose just out of reach of his teeny, baby hands. "Garu?"

I carefully plucked the blue rose. "It's the same color as you," I said.

He let out a muffled "thanks" from behind his surgical mask.

Zaroro gave me the bouquet of roses. "I'm sure your mom will love these."

I stood up, anxious to get home. "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow. If I get father's permission, I might be able to sleep over."

"Call us up tonight. I want to see Giroro," Zaroro replied.

000

I pulled out the key to the house. I had gotten there a little before three and I hoped that father and mother were not home yet. I unlocked the door and walked into the kitchen. Yesterday I had gotten mom's favorite chocolates and had placed them on a table. I walked to a cabinet and pulled out a vase. I appreciated Zaroro's skill with cutting flowers. They were the perfect length.

I placed the flowers on the kitchen table along with the chocolates. I also pinned up a banner that I had made. WELCOME HOME MOM AND GIRORO, it declared. I had written it in my best penmanship.

After what seemed like hours, I heard the door open. "Garuru-kun!" my mother's sweet voice resounded from the hall.

I ran to greet her. "Mama!" I exclaimed, running into her arms. "It's been so long!"

She walked into the kitchen. Her violet eyes took in the sign, the flowers, and the chocolates all at once. "Oh, Garuru—you're so sweet."

"Giro!" A sing-song voice exclaimed behind mother.

A little red frog with a skull on his belly peeked at me with a boldness that I had not seen in Zeroro. His eyes were big and round like mother's. I had to say, I was a little disappointed that he had not inherited father's eyes—my eyes. It really took away from him—he would grow up looking tough if not for those great big eyes.

Mother bent down to whisper in my ear. "Look, Garuru. He's mimicking you."

I directed my gaze at Giroro again. I watched as he scrunched his face, attempting to grit his eyes. Finally, he succeeded. He was so angry-looking; I could not help but laugh. "Father—Let Giroro on the battlefield with a gun and I think he'd scare the enemy away."

"Two military men. I'm proud," Father said, a pleased tone in his voice.

"Garu." Giroro held onto my hand. "Garu."

I picked up my little brother, and in that one little moment, signed the non-existent consent form for the life-long misery of being the first born son.


	2. Breakfast with a Side of Gunpla

The sun was not even up when I awoke the next morning. I didn't think anyone in the house was even awake yet, the morning was so still. My clock declared it was five o' clock Keron time. I yawned. "I've still got three hours to—" I stopped mid-sentence.

Why? Because I heard a muffled "Giro, giro" from somewhere in my room.

I couldn't tell where Giroro was in the pitch darkness of my room. "Giroro?" I asked the darkness. "Where are you?"

I felt him jump on the bed. "Giro," he said sweetly as he cuddled next to me.

I patted his head. "You're cute," I whispered.

000

I woke up again around 7 o' clock. The bright sun illuminated Giroro's face as he slept on. I leaned back, feeling content. That is, until I saw my plastic models strewn on the floor. They had been gifts from the twins on my last birthday. I think they're called gunpla. Zeruru added that they were from Pokopen. My eyes scanned the models. One's arm was snapped off, while another one was missing its head. "That's what you were doing, you little shit!" I shouted angrily.

Giroro opened his eyes. "Garu," he peeped.

"Don't 'Garu' me!" I yelled. I grabbed Giroro by the ankles and raised him up over the floor. "You see those models! Those were gifts from my best friends. And you had to break them!" I hurled him across the room.

One look from Giroro and I knew I had been too harsh. His eyes welled with tears. His little wail pierced my heart. "Oh, Giroro," I cried, "I'm sorry. I lost my temper." I frantically ran over to pick him up and cradle him. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Giroro."

"Mean Garu," Giroro wailed. "Why?"

I was about to explain about the models when I heard the door creak open. My mother walked in, her tired eyes taking in the broken gunpla, the sobbing Giroro, and my guilty expression. "Garuru—what did you do?" she asked, a tired tone in her voice.

"I—I lost my temper," I stuttered, not even daring to look Mother in the eye. "So I flung him across the room. I know, I'm a terrible brother."

"Garu," Giroro whispered, "My fault."

"No, it's not. I should control my temper better, Giroro," I apologized. "Here, show me what hurts."

He pointed to a rug burn on his cheek. I gave it a little kiss, but it was more like a peck. I twisted back to mother. "Mom, go back to bed. I know you're tired. I'll take care of him."

"Remember, he's only a baby. He doesn't understand what's precious to you. Have an open and forgiving heart, Garuru," Mother reminded me.

I saluted. "Yes, Mom. I will take better care of him," I promised.

Once mother had shut the door, I placed Giroro on my bed. "Close your eyes," I ordered, demonstrating by placing my hands over me eyes. I looked to make sure he was following suit. "And don't peek!" I added. Silently, I tip-toed to my shelf of gunpla; I selected one of the best-painted models. I couldn't remember what it was called, but I thought that Giroro would like it because it was red. Turning back to Giroro, I placed the gundam into his tiny hands. "Now, open your eyes!" I commanded.

Giroro quickly opened his eyes; taking in the model in his little hands. He let out a yelp of glee. "Giro!" he cried. "Thank." He cradled the gundam, stroking its helmet lovingly.

"Just don't break this one, okay?" I told Giroro.

He saluted. I rejoiced in the gleeful look in his eye; it made me feel like I had amended things with Giroro. The tiny Keronian played with the gundam, whistling and making little "giro, giro" noises. The smell of eggs and bacon filled my nose, its scent wafted through the hallway into my room. I began to salivate. "Giroro," I said, "Do you smell that?"

Giroro sniffed the air for a few seconds, and then he nodded.

"That is the smell of breakfast!" I exclaimed joyfully, and bolted down the hall towards the kitchen. Giroro, with his gundam in tow, followed me. Mother stood by the stove, frying the bacon. "I thought, on my first day back, I'd make you breakfast."

"Thank you, Mama." I grinned. I pulled out some plates and forks for mother, and I set the table neatly. The satisfaction that came from helping out Mother was enormous. Giroro sat on the floor, playing with his gunpla. "Giro, giro! Giro, giro!" the red tadpole sang.

Mother placed the bacon on the table. "Here, you two. Just save some for your father, okay?" she reminded me. "Oh, and Zeruru-kun and Zaroro-chan are coming to pick you up. Apparently they're sleeping over here tonight."

"Affirmative," I replied as I cut up some bacon for Giroro. I started spoon-feeding him for mother. At first, Giroro seemed reluctant to eat; he stuck his nose in the air and pushed my hand away. "Giroro," I said in exasperation, "It's bacon! It tastes good!"

Finally, an idea struck me. I made annoying little noises; the sound of space ships and machine guns and the like. I knew it had to be obnoxious for Mother, but Giroro started giggling. Seizing the chance to stuff bacon in his mouth, I quickly force fed him the bite of bacon. "There," I said with a tone of satisfaction. "Do you like it?"

Giroro chewed for a few seconds, and then he nodded. "Bacon!" he exclaimed.

Mother patted my shoulder. "See? You're shaping up to be a fine brother," she assured me.

"Garuru! We're here!" yelled a few voices from outside the door. It was none other than the twins.


	3. Meeting Zeroro

I leaped over to the door to admit the twins. Giroro followed excitedly. "Giro? Giro?" he asked repeatedly.

The twins opened the door themselves. "Hello, Garuru!" Zaroro exclaimed. She bent down to see Giroro. "And who's this little cutie-pie?"

"Giroro!" the little frog shouted.

Zaroro picked him up and cradled him. "Oh, Garuru, your little brother is so cute. Can we trade him for Zeroro?"

Zeruru rolled his eyes. "I would never dream of it. Zeroro would make another nice addition to our doppelganger stunt."

"Come now, I've never seen the doppelganger impression," I replied.

"Zero," peeped a little voice from behind Zeruru.

"Aw, shit!" Zeruru cursed. "If Mom knows that he followed us, we will be brutally murdered. And then, she'll kill our dead bodies again."

Giroro approached Zeroro from behind me. "Giro?"

Zeroro ran behind Zaroro. He blushed furiously.

"Come on, Zeroro. I'm sure Giroro won't bite," Zaroro encouraged the blue tadpole.

Giroro took a few steps forward. He pulled his model out from behind his back and offered it to Zeroro. Finally, Zeroro was coaxed out. "Giro!" he whistled. The two tadpoles ran off.

"Where are they going?!" I shouted as I followed them. "Giroro! Come here!"

I tracked Zeroro's dirty little paws over into the hall and towards my bedroom. A sinking feeling filled my stomach. "Oh, no. Why didn't I tell Giroro that my room was off-limits!" I barged into my room to find Giroro and Zeroro playing with some of my stuffed animals. I was relieved; I had been so certain that the two would be demolishing something.

I turned towards the doorway to see Zaroro standing there, but Zaroro was right beside when I entered, but now Zeruru was next to me (or was it Zaroro?). I burst out laughing. "So, was that your doppelganger impression?" I wheezed.

"Yeah," Zeruru replied. "We always play that one on new teachers."

"It'll be much better when Zeroro can be a third doppelganger," Zaroro added, flopping down on my bed.

"Won't he be too short?" I asked.

"True," Zaroro responded. "And he's rather sickly too. He's already survived through a head cold."

I, on the other hand, had always been healthy as a horse. "I can't recall ever having a cold."

"Lucky!" Zeruru exclaimed. "Zaroro and I have had two colds apiece."

"Garuru, Giroro!" Mother called from downstairs. "I'm off to work, okay? Be good children."

I ran out of my room to watch her go. "Bye-bye, Mama! I'll watch Giroro."

Mother turned around. "Garuru-kun, sweetheart… you're so kind." Her eyes became stern. "Stop leaning on the banister!"

I quickly got off of the railing. "Yes, Mama!" I yelled back.

Zeruru and Zaroro joined me out in the hall. "Hey—let's go bike riding," Zaroro suggested excitedly. "I got a new bike and I'm anxious to test it out." Zaroro touched her toes and ran in a small circle to demonstrate her eagerness.

"But we have to watch our sibs," I sighed.

"I've got an idea," Zeruru muttered, his voice all misty and mysterious.

000

After a half hour of coaxing Giroro and Zeroro to leave the toys be, we pedaled down the street towards school. The day was perfect—the sun was shining and the humidity was just right. There were light, fluffy clouds in the sky—an ideal summer's day on Planet Keron.

"Giro!" yelled little Giroro, riding on my handlebars. "Fun!"

Zeroro rode in the basket on the front of Zaroro's bike. "Zero!" he called back.

I chuckled. "Be careful. If you get hurt, Mom will break me on the wheel."

"Got to love medieval torture," Zaroro chortled. "Mom has probably noticed that Zeroro's gone by now. We better be prepared for a flogging."

I didn't hear a word. The wind rushed in my face as we took on a downhill slope. "What a thrilling downhill ride!" I exclaimed.

"Giro!" the crimson Keronian yelped. "Speed speed speed!"

I glanced over at Zeroro. He wasn't enjoying the pace either. "Why don't we take a break once we get to the bottom?" Zaroro proposed.

"Sounds good to me," I huffed. "I'm already worn out."

I hadn't gone bike riding in ages. Every time I thought I would go outside and just pedal around the neighborhood, I took one lazy look at the bike and went to do push-ups instead. But with little Giroro, he actually made it a bit fun.

"Garuru-kun! Zaroro-chan! Zeruru-kun!" a familiar female voice called. It was our teacher; she was an orange Keronian. Sensei was friendly and we all enjoyed her class. She walked out from her garden to talk to us.

"Hello sensei!" Zaroro called back. "How are you?"

"Fine, Zaroro-chan," sensei replied, her eyes shining. "I see you three have gained new family members. "Garuru, this must be your little brother that you were talking about. He looks like you."

That was the last thing I wanted to hear. I personally thought we looked nothing alike. "Giroro!" he exclaimed.

"Nice to meet you, Giroro," sensei winked. "And your little brother, Zeruru-kun?"

"Zero," Zeroro muttered bashfully.

"His name's Zeroro," Zaroro replied. "He's a little shy."

"I'll look forward to seeing these two in my class," sensei said cheerfully. "I will see you boys and girls later." She coolly walked back into her garden.

000

By the time we got home, a rather annoyed blue Keronian was waiting on the doorstep. "Zeruru! Zaroro! Why didn't you tell me that Zeroro was here with you? You've given me a heart attack. After coming home, to find my little taddy-pole gone?!"

"Sorry, Mom," Zaroro apologized. "We didn't know he had followed us."

"Giro!" Zeroro whistled, and the two walked forward.

"Oh, Zeroro! Have you made a new friend?"

Zeroro blushed under his mask. He nodded enthusiastically.

"Can he stay over? He seems to like Giroro," I told his mother.

She patted Zeroro's head. "That's fine. Just keep a close eye on him, okay, twins?"

Giroro and Zeroro ran behind into the garden. "I'll keep an eye on them," I called as I ran after them. "Maybe two eyes."

I stopped to find the two picking a bouquet of nothing other than mother's newly blooming crimson roses. Great. Mom will kill me for letting these two get away with this. "Giroro!" I roared. "Mom told you! You can't pick the roses!"

Zeroro stood frozen with fear. Giroro was trembling. "Garu!" he sobbed. "Mean!"

"And proud of it," I grumbled as I trudged back into the house.


	4. Giroro and Zeroro's Beautiful Friendship

_Fourteen x minus eleven x equals fifteen x squared_, I thought as I wrote out a proof for math. The Keron sun was setting on my back as I struggled with algebra. Sweat beaded on my forehead and my brain ached from concentrating so hard. Zeruru sat next to me, constantly scribbling down another proof. We were both several grades higher in mathematics, but unlike Zeruru, I struggled to keep my grade a B. "You got fourteen x minus eleven—" I began to say, before a deafening crash resounded from Giroro's room next door.

In four years of living with my younger sibling, some days were like lightning flashes while others were long rolls of thunder. And days with Keroro, Giroro's classmate, were definitely days of thunder.

I didn't mind Zeroro. He had grown up quiet and reserved; he wouldn't run around the halls making a huge racket like Keroro. On the other hand, Keroro threw caution to the wind. That was why, on the first day Keroro visited my house, I had made sure that my room was off-limits.

Another crash. This time, Zeruru looked up. "What are they doing to my younger brother again?!" he exclaimed as he left his homework lying on my desk. "Zeroro! Are you okay?"

I listened closely. Sure enough, I could hear Zeroro's ragged, uncontrollable sobbing. Zeruru shook his head. "Keroro will end up killing my brother!" he yelled as he dashed out of my room and into Giroro's.

"Zeroro-kun! I didn't mean to!" Keroro's high-pitched voice shouted. "I just wanted to see what happens when you try to use a mattress as a catapult!"

"I told him not to!" Giroro's rougher voice said consolingly. "I'm sorry he hurt you, Zeroro-kun!"

"Now, now," Zeruru replied calmly. "Zeroro, let's get that bloody nose cleaned up. We'll take a break in Garuru-kun's room."

A few seconds later, Zeruru re-entered my room with Zeroro. The younger Keronian held his hand up to his nose, but I could tell there was blood oozing out. His eyes were full of tears. "Zeroro-kun, what did my brother do?" I asked angrily.

"Nothing, Garuru-kun!" Zeroro responded hastily. "It was Keroro-kun's fault."

Zeruru had a wet hand towel and was pressing it up against his brother's face. "There, there," he cooed, "It's okay, it's okay."

I was amazed by Zeruru's closeness to his brother. After I moved from babysitter to guiding sibling, Giroro and I had drifted apart. Sometimes there were days when we never spoke to each other at all. Now that I was getting closer to the age when I would go to the university to continue my studies, and then enter the army, I wasn't so tolerant of his cute acts or his antics.

"Garuru! What happened up in Giroro's room?" My mother called.

I rushed out of my room to meet mother standing in the hallway. "It's Keroro again," I grumbled. "He's causing the mayhem again. Apparently he was catapulting Zeroro."

"Zeroro-kun's fine, though?" Mother inquired.

"Bloody nose, but that's it," I replied. "Zeruru's taking care of him."

Mother nodded. "All right. Make sure that Giroro and his friends go to bed at nine," she reminded me.

I saluted. "Of course, Mama."

I turned and walked back to my room. Zeruru had gone back to scribbling down proofs. "Is Zeroro okay?"

"He's fine now. I gave Keroro a scolding; now they're having fun with the Rubik's cube. That will keep Keroro from thinking up anything stupid," Zeruru muttered.

I sat back down. "Where are you, anyway?"

"Problem 45. And you?" Zeruru replied.

"Problem 20," I answered. There was a tinge of embarrassment in my voice. "I hate having to prove my answer—why does everything need proof to exist?!"

"Maybe we should stop for tonight, Garuru," Zeruru proposed. "You're getting a little angry over a simple assignment. You still have the rest of the weekend."

"Fine by me. Why don't we listen to some music?" I responded.

"Sure. But let me guess… it's from Pokopen, right?" Zeruru guessed.

"Yeah," I replied lazily as I popped the CD in the stereo. "It's a musical called Spamalot. I find it entertaining."

"_Finland, Finland, Finland! That's the country for me! Finland is the country where we dance! Finland is the country where we play, here in Finland boy and girl can find a true romance in traditional Scandinavian way!_"

"Hmm. Not too bad," Zeruru evaluated. "This is the original cast, right?"

"Yeah," I said as I flopped down on the bed. I picked up today's newspaper—even though life here seemed peaceful, I knew that war was brewing between us and the vipers. Father hadn't come home for a month now; he was training his platoon for war. "I would shoot a viper to bits," I grumbled. "I wish they would just be diplomatic and listen to us. But their vendetta runs too deep."

"On top of everything, you're worried about the war?" Zeruru responded.

I glared at him. "I haven't seen my dad for a month now due to it. Yes, I am worried. And if worse come to worst, my mother will have to leave too."

Zeruru came to sit next to me. "I forgot your parents served in the military," he apologized. "But I never knew your mom was in the Keron army, though."

"She's a corporal," I replied proudly. "I think she leads a platoon as well, but as of yet, they haven't called on her to serve. And I want it to remain that way. Otherwise my crazy uncle will come to take care of us."

Zeruru and I both laughed. "Got to love those crazy relatives. What's so bad about him?"

"He's a dentist—but a mad scientist of sorts," I explained. "He can't cook anything but ramen (which is terrible), so I usually end up cooking."

"You cook, Garuru?" Zeruru asked. "And well?"

"Yeah. But my specialty is cookies. I make really good cookies." My mouth started to water as I said that.

Zaroro burst into my room. "Where have you been all this time?" her twin asked.

"I went to rent a movie and get us some snacks," Zaroro replied, breathless. "I ran all the way, too." She held up a brown paper bag. "Now, dried squid for Garuru, wasabi peas for Zeruru, and rice crackers for me," she muttered. "I also got us all bubble tea," she added.

"Thanks, Zaroro! You're the best!" I exclaimed.

"I got you sour grape, Garuru. With tapioca." Zaroro handed me the drink.

"What movie?" Zeruru asked excitedly. "Is that the Pokopenian one we wanted to see?"

Zaroro held up a movie entitled "Death Wish". "This is the one, right?"

I nodded. "Yes! I was watching the previews today. It looks so good. And I hope it has some good music." I then remembered what Mother had said. "I need to go check on my bro," I explained quickly as I trudged out of my room.

The fact that there was no light under the door was a good sign. I quietly opened the door in hope not to disturb the sleeping Keronians. To my surprise, while I saw Keroro snoring on the bed, Giroro and Zeroro were talking softly on the floor. "I'm so sorry I let him hurt you, Zeroro," Giroro whispered. Then the red tadpole reached around Zeroro to give him a hug.

Zeroro sniffed. "Thank you, Giroro-kun."

I silently shut the door. At least Giroro was being the higher person. That much I was grateful for. "Good night," I whispered. "Sweet dreams."


	5. Yule's Day

I was jolted awake by a little squirmy body invading my covers. I opened up sleepy eyes to see Giroro jumping up and down on my bed. "Stop it…" I grumbled.

"Happy Yule's day, Garuru!" Giroro exclaimed. "Come on! Get up! Mom says that we can't open presents until you get up!" In desperation he pulled the cover off of me.

"It _is_ Yule's day!" I verified as I looked at my calendar. I patted Giroro's head. "Happy Yule's day to you, Giroro."

Giroro kept tugging at my hand as we walked down the hallway and then down the stairs. "I hope I got a present from Keroro-kun! I sent him one!"

Knowing Keroro, I was highly skeptical that the green tadpole would even think about giving Yule's day presents. He'd only think about himself, as usual—totally defeating the purpose of Yule's day.

Giroro led me into the common room. "Look at all the presents, Garuru!"

I smiled. "Yes, Giroro."

He took out one of the bigger packages. "This one's for Garuru, and this one's for me—it's from Zeroro-kun! That one's for Garuru—look, Garuru! You got a present from each of the twins. Look, Pururu sent me something!"

I held up one package; I scrutinized the tag. "Great. Crazy Uncle sent us stuff. Probably fluoride and an assortment of toothbrushes and toothpaste."

Mother and Father trudged into the room, coffee mugs in hand. "Sorry, boys. We just had to get coffee. Why'd you have to wake me so early, Giroro?" Mother inquired as she sat in her favorite chair.

"Can I open a present?" Giroro asked impatiently.

A nod from Father was unnecessary, since Giroro was already pulling the silver wrapping paper off of the package. I could tell by the tidy scrawl on the tag that this present was from Zeroro. Giroro finished untying the bow to pull out a pair of bright red roller-skates. "Look, Mama! Look at what Zeroro-kun got me!" he exclaimed wildly.

My turn, I guessed. I randomly selected a package; it turned out to be from Zeruru. _Thought you'd enjoy this_, I read on Zeruru's tag. I pulled off the brown paper to see a movie entitled "The Bourne Identity". "Thanks, Zeruru," I muttered under my breath.

"Can we give mother our present?" Giroro begged.

I pulled out the smaller package and handed it to Mother. We had got her new slippers because her old ones had huge, gaping holes. Except that Giroro and I couldn't decide on the color, so in the end we had one purple shoe and one red one. Mother laughed after opening the present. "Thank you, boys," she muttered as she planted a kiss on my cheek.

In the end, I had received a CD called "Les Miserables" (another musical) from Zaroro, and from Giroro I received a book I had been waiting for ages to read. I had also received a package from Mother that consisted of gun oil and polish as well as a soft cloth; I wondered what that was for. I saved the largest package for last. The tag indicated it was from Father. I struggled to lift it. "Someone's out of shape," Father commented as I huffed to lift the package from the floor.

Excited, I ripped the paper off of the parcel to find a black box labeled "Keron Army Gun Manufacturing Company". My heart thumping wildly, I tore off the lid to find a beautifully polished sniper rifle. It gleamed in the dim light of the common room. "My word… Dad…"

Father stood next to me. "A beauty, isn't it? The latest sniper rifle in the Keron army. I was able to get one due to the war that threatens to break out."

I had tears in my eyes. "Thank you so much, Father," I choked out.

"It's time for you to have your own gun, son," Father replied. "And since you're such a promising sniper…"

Giroro leaped up and down. "That's so cool, Garuru!" he shouted. "Pap, can I have one of those?"

Father chuckled. "Not yet, Giroro. You're still a little young."

000

The smell of printed paper filled my nose as I read the book from Giroro. Everything was peaceful in the house—until, of course, the doorbell rang in a high, tinny tone and I heard the voices of Keroro, Zeroro, Giroro, and an unknown female voice. I decided to ignore them and continued to read my book. "Hey, you should see what big bro Garuru got for Yule's day!" I didn't have to listen closely to their conversation to know that they were heading for my room.

I marked my page with a receipt and bolted out into the hall way. "There is no going into my room, Keroro," I growled, "Unless, of course, you want to see what I got for Yule's day pointed in your face."

Keroro nodded frantically. I looked behind to spot a pink Keronian. _Great. Now there's four of them._ "Found yourself a girlfriend, Giroro?" I commented calmly. "I don't think we've met."

Giroro gritted his eyes even more and attempted to sock me, but I caught his arm mid-swing. "Now, now, Giroro," I murmured. "That won't do. What's your name?" I asked the pink Keronian.

"Pururu," she replied boldly. "And you are?"

"Garuru," I responded. "Giroro's brother."

Pururu nodded politely. "Nice to meet you, Garuru-san."

"We won't bug you, Garuru-kun," Keroro promised.

"And the twins should be here," Zeroro added.

I nodded. Sure enough, Zaroro's impatient voice called up, "GARURU! Come on, we're sick of waiting for you."

I dashed down the steps. "Sorry about the wait," I apologized.

Zeruru pulled out a slip of paper and passed it to me. Quickly, I scanned the card. "Voucher for paintballing? You're too nice, Zeruru!"

Zaroro slapped her forehead. "Do you know what you've gotten us into? He's the best shot in the entire grade!"

Zeruru's excited expression faded. "Yeah. I didn't think of that."

"We could bring along my brother and his friends," I suggested.

Zaroro and Zeruru stared at me oddly for a moment. "Do I have something on my face?" I asked worriedly.

"No," Zeruru replied. "You actually want to include your brother in one of our activities."

"It's Yule's day," I said as I grinned. "I think we can indulge them in a little fun."

I ran up the stairs again and barged into Giroro's room. Keroro had that glint in his eye that signaled he was formulating some kind of plan. I hadn't picked a better time to ask them if they wanted to go paintballing. I held up the voucher. "Hey, you four—Zeruru has a voucher to go on a paintballing expedition, and we decided that, since it is Yule's day, to let you come along."

Giroro bolted towards me and gave me a great big hug. "Thank you so much, Garuru!"

Keroro and Zeroro nodded. "That'll be fun, Garuru-senpai."

Pururu seemed a little taken aback. "You don't have to play, Pururu-chan," I told the pink tadpole.

"No, I want to come—but can you make a special rule for me?" Pururu asked politely.

"Sure. What is it?" I retorted. I was getting a little impatient.

"I want to be a medic. If I touch someone, they're healed. But if I get hit, I'm out," Pururu explained. "Like that game, 'medic one'."

"We can do that," I agreed.

"Thank you, Garuru-senpai!" Pururu replied as she followed me down the stairs.

I smiled. For once, I felt Yule's day spirit fill the house.


	6. Paintball with a Side of Foreshadowing

Ch. 6

We reached the green paintballing range at around noon Keron time. The sun was shining brightly overhead and the grass was spongy under my feet. "This is perfect," I said dreamily.

"Isn't it? This turned out to be a good day for a little battle," Zeruru replied.

I stood up on a rock. "Okay—twins, tadpoles," I announced in a clear voice, "Our Yule's day battle will soon commence after I explain the rules and the teams. Team Shuriken will be Zeruru, Zaroro, and myself, Team Star shall be Keroro, Giroro, Zeroro, and Pururu."

"Not fair!" Keroro cried indignantly. "Why are all the older ones on the same team? Shouldn't it be intermingled?"

"But you've got an advantage in number," I pointed out. I tapped my foot in annoyance.

"No! It's exactly the same amount: three versus three!" Keroro argued.

"Look again," I muttered.

Keroro twisted around to look at his teammates. He had the most embarrassed expression emblazoned on his face when he turned back to me. "Sorry," he said under his breath.

"All right. Now that's settled, I need to explain the special rule," I announced. "Each team has a medic. If someone is hit, then their team medic can heal them by tapping them twice. Understand?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good. Now we need to pick team captains and team medics," I declared. I got off the rock to discuss with my teammates. "I think that Zaroro should be our medic," I suggested.

"Me? I'm going to be the first one hit," Zaroro responded worriedly.

"That's why we're here to protect you," Zeruru replied. "We'll take your shots." Zeruru turned to me. "Garuru should be captain, though. He has the best strategy."

"Stop talking to me like I'm not here," I retorted.

"Well, you do have the best strategy. We'll be kicking Team Star's butts with Garuru to lead us!" Zaroro performed a really lame karate move.

"Yes! Garuru-kun always wins with strategy games. He'll be a platoon leader someday!" Zeruru proclaimed.

"Aww, stop it, twins. You're making me blush," I begged. My cheeks were indeed a bright shade of pink.

"We've got our medic and our captain!" Keroro called. "Hurry up over there!"

"Oh, God. I hope Keroro-kun isn't their leader. It'll be too easy," Zaroro groaned.

I walked over to the pile of paintball guns. Zeruru and Zaroro had clearly kept the weapons in tip-top condition. I pulled out a long, slender rifle from the bottom of the pile. The weapon's handle was the perfect shape for my hand. It would do nicely.

Zaroro, Zeruru, and the others also selected their paintball guns from the pile with the exception of Pururu. "I don't know how to fire one of these," Pururu complained.

"But you're the medic," Keroro interrupted. "You don't need to fire a gun, remember?"

Pururu snorted. "I want a bit of the fun, too."

"Pururu-chan, I'll show you how to fire a paintball gun," I offered. Picking up the last rifle, I placed it in Pururu's little hands. "All right. You take aim, and first, you pull back the hammer," I demonstrated with my own weapon. "And then you pull the trigger, and—presto!" I exclaimed as a paintball went flying into Keroro's face, turning him a lovely shade of greenish-purple. "Now, you try, Pururu-chan."

Pururu took aim at a small rock. I watched her struggle to pull back the hammer; her small pink fingers grasped the trigger. Her shot ended up hitting Keroro again, but it was a start. "That was good, Pururu-chan," I assured her. "By the end of today, you should have it down."

"Thank you, Garuru-san," Pururu replied.

"So, does Team Star have their captain?" I asked, my eyes boring into Keroro.

"Yep! I'm captain!!" Keroro exclaimed happily.

"And I'm captain of my team," I replied. "And, unlike you, I will lead my team to victory."

Giroro looked at me pleadingly. "Please play nice," he begged.

"Depends on how well you play," I grumbled.

000

A paintball whizzed by my head as I took aim at Keroro. Pururu had swiftly been taken out of the game by a well aimed shot from Zaroro. I focused hard, and pulled the trigger. It landed on Keroro's arm. "I'm out!" I heard him shout. Nevertheless, he refused to sit on the sidelines.

Zeroro turned to his green friend. "Keroro-kun, that's cheating!"

I hopped out from my hiding place behind a bush. "Keroro-kun, sit on the sidelines," I growled.

I personally thought that the tone in my voice would imply my annoyance at the green tadpole, but Keroro grinned and replied, "Only if you can shoot me right here!" Keroro pointed at the star on his forehead.

"Simple," I muttered as I pulled the trigger.

There was a lovely purple paintball right on Keroro's star.

"Good shot, Garuru!" Zeruru cheered.

"You're a poor excuse for a leader, Keroro-kun," I said with scorn.

As soon as Keroro took his place on the sidelines, we resumed play. It was three on two, so we had the advantage. But our sibs were not about to go down without a fight.

"I can't focus on Zeroro…" Zeruru muttered.

"He is making himself a very hard shot," I agreed. "Come here little froggies… let me shoot you," I cooed.

I aimed at Zeroro, biting my tongue in the process. It was hard sniping from this tree; the bark was rough and the branches clawed at my face. I fired, letting my movement follow the weapon. Zeroro dodged it at inhuman speed.

"You're bro's not making himself a too easy shot either," Zeruru grumbled.

I watched Giroro for a few moments. He was really focusing on his shots. Zeruru fired at Giroro, but to no avail. Giroro rolled out of the way to let the paintball splash a tree with blue paint. _Good job Giroro!_ I thought inwardly.

Just as quickly, Giroro had taken aim and pulled the trigger. I glanced over my shoulder to see Zaroro's stomach splashed with red paint. "I'm out!" she shouted, placing her gun down. "Keep fighting you two!"

000

I watched with gratification as Zeroro trudged out to the sidelines, joining his siblings. A well aimed shot had ended his fight. "That was amazing, Garuru-senpai!" he called. "You're so good with a gun."

"Zeroro-kun, you'll be an assassin for sure!" I yelled back. "You were so speedy! And it was like you could see the course of the paintballs before they hit!"

Zeroro blushed. "Thank you, Garuru-senpai."

I turned to Giroro. "Now, you can forfeit or we can keep fighting. Which do you prefer?"

"Keep fighting," Giroro replied. "One-on-one."

With that, Giroro launched at me, firing two guns at the same time. Red paint sped in and out of my field of vision. I rolled out of Giroro's path and, when my brother's back was turned, shot him right below the neck.

Giroro fell forward. His expression was thoroughly surprised. "That—that was a good move, brother," he said, his voice wavering.

For a single moment I had the odd feeling that someday this would occur again. Only then, we would have real guns in our hands.


	7. Grandma

_Now, for the proof_, I thought as I bit my tongue. Sweat was beading on my forehead from thinking so hard. AP calculus was almost too hard for me. "I better call up Zeruru," I muttered as I reached for the phone. My tired hands punched in the number.

"Zeruru?" I said into the receiver. "Is Zeruru there?"

"This is Zeroro," the voice on the other line replied.

"Heya, Zeroro. I need some help on my math homework. Can I talk to your brother? " I asked. "It's Garuru, by the way."

"Sure, Garuru-senpai!" Zeroro exclaimed.

Zeruru's deeper voice chuckled on the other end. "Hey, Garuru. I hear from Zeroro that you need help. Maybe you're really outdoing yourself."

"No!" I replied defiantly. "I'm fine on most days. I need help with Problem 25—"

"Here. I'll just come over. I'm sure that Zeroro and Zaroro will want to come too," Zeruru interjected.

I hung up just as the doorbell rang. "It can't be them," I mused. "Giroro! Don't get the door!"

"I don't want to," Giroro replied. "It's _Her_."

"Not Her!" I complained. "I thought it was next week!" I dragged myself down the stairs.

"I'll get the door."

One look at the very rotund indigo Keronian standing at the doorway, and I wished I had never inherited her color. Her fishy lips smothered in red lipstick made me recoil. "I'm waiting!" she called.

I had the sudden urge to jump in a very large plate of red curry so no one would get the idea that I was related to her.

It was Grandma.

000

"Oh, my. Garuru-kun's grown up so much!" my grandmother exclaimed as she pinched my cheek.

Finally, I wrenched myself from Grandma's grip. "Yeah. Nice to see you again, Grandma," I grumbled as I sat down and worked again on my AP calculus homework. At least this would probably be the last time I ever have to suffer with Grandma again. I was a senior in training school and would be heading to the university next year.

"And here's my little Giroro pumpkin!" Grandma turned to torment Giroro.

Giroro frowned. He sent me this pleading look that said _Garuru, save me_.

As if on time, the door bell rang. "Giroro-kun!" Zeroro yelled. "Let's play!"

"Garuru, let's do AP calculus homework together! Remember, you said that you needed help!" Zeruru shouted.

"I brought some snacks and a movie. If you hurry up, we should be able to watch it!" Zaroro bribed.

As if our chairs had zapped us, Giroro and I flew over to the door. "Zeroro-kun! We're coming!" Giroro ran to answer the door.

"Who are those obnoxious teenagers?" Grandma asked crossly.

"Our friends," I responded quickly, and then I bounded over to get the door. "Zeruru! Thanks so much for coming!"

"No problem," Zeruru chuckled. "And I do need help with my AP history essay too. Can you help me with—"

"Garuru-kun! Giroro-kun! Introduce your little friends to me!" Grandma interjected.

"Is your grandmother here?" Zaroro asked worriedly.

"Yes," I whined. "God save me."

Grandma met us in the hallway. "You must be the twins," Grandma said as she scanned Zaroro and Zeruru from head to toe.

"I'm Zaroro. Nice to meet you," Zaroro said politely.

"And my name's Zeruru. Fortunately, it's easy to tell us apart," Zeruru added.

Grandma nodded. She turned to look at Zeroro. "And you are?"

"Zeroro," Giroro introduced. "He's a little shy."

"We're going to work on homework," Zeruru said quickly as he steered me out of the hallway and up the stairs.

000

"You saved my life, twins," I said happily as I munched on some wasabi peas and sipped my sour grape bubble tea. We had finished homework and we were happily watching A View to a Kill.

"No problem," Zeruru replied, his eyes glued to the TV screen. "And thanks for the help on—wait, were you referring to the calculus or your grandmother?"

"Both. She's insane. How I wish she wasn't related to me," I groaned.

"Too bad you didn't fall in a plate of curry. It would have been convenient to dye yourself red. At least you wouldn't look like her," Zaroro joked. "That perfume was over-powering."

"She only comes once a year," I replied. "This is the last time I may ever have to see her. I kinda hope she walks into her grave here pretty soon."

Zeruru frowned behind his mask. "Garuru, that's not very nice."

"Well, if she wouldn't pinch my cheeks…" I began.

Zaroro and Zeruru burst out into a hysterical fight of laughter. "You're a senior, and she still pinches your cheeks?! You're not _that_ loveable!" Zaroro choked out.

I glared at Zaroro. "Oh, yeah. The world just hates me," I snorted as I watched the dynamic car chase that had exploded on the TV screen.

I heard the door creak open. "Umm, Garuru-senpai, can we watch A View to a Kill too?" Zeroro asked nervously.

"Of course. We just started, so you haven't missed much," I responded. "It's really good. I don't like this Bond as much as I liked Sean Connery, though."

"Thanks, Garuru. Grandma's been torturing us for the last hour," Giroro replied, obviously relieved. "At least she brought us a lovely bouquet of crimson roses."

As I felt Giroro snuggle up beside me, I couldn't help but wonder why red roses had managed to find me ever since the day Giroro came home.


	8. Garuru Graduates

Pomp and Circumstance filled the auditorium as, one by one, my classmates paraded towards their seats. I felt as if I had butterflies in my stomach as I waited my turn. Furere, Fuxixi… Garuru. My heart hammered in my chest, making me dizzy. "Garuru, son of Gerere— graduates with highest distinction as Salutatorian," the Head of the school announced as I stepped into the auditorium, wearing my white gown and hat; a red and white honor cord across my chest. I had the strong impulse to just bolt to my seat, but as I remembered I was Salutatorian and I would be delivering my speech soon and I veered up onto the stage.

I listened as they went through the ranks. Finally, it was the twins' turn. "Zaroro, daughter of Zororo—graduates with highest distinction," the Head of the school declared.

My eyes followed Zaroro as she gracefully strode towards her seat. While it had seemed as though I would die just marching across the auditorium, Zaroro carried herself with confidence. I envied her.

"Zeruru, son of Zororo—graduates with highest distinction as Valedictorian," the Head of school announced, and Zeruru walked up to the stage and sat next to me.

"And that is your graduating class," the Head of school said to applause. "Would Garuru please deliver his Salutatorian speech?"

I stood up, and, my body shaking, I walked nervously up to the podium. "Good evening to you, graduating class. I'm glad to say one thing—we survived. And we all know that it was a long haul, tackling the hours of homework and the hard physical training. But, I believe that everyone made it through high training without dying. If you did die, please raise your hand at this time."

Chuckles from the graduates ensued.

"This graduating class is a group of excellent young Keronians. These young men and women are the future of planet Keron—we can trust these young people with our future. And I hope that Keron will entrust our future with this group of Keronians. In these days of grey with clouds of war hanging over our heads, we need to trust each other.

"Some of our ranks have studied so they can become doctors and nurses. Others for science—these young scientists could become the next engineers or find cures for diseases. And a select few of these young Keronians are advocates for peace. I expect one thing out of this graduating class: that they give their all to becoming their own person so they may better the world!"

My speech ended simply. "Congratulations, graduating class!" I cheered as I clapped.

I was showered with thunderous applause. Quickly I bowed as to not reveal my cheeks (which were rapidly turning pink).

"Good job, Garuru," Zeruru replied as I sat down.

000

"Some of my classmates I have known since our sandbox days in pre-elementary training," Zeruru said in his Valedictorian speech. "I never imagined that you all would grow to be such fine young men and young ladies. Parents, teachers, family, I present to you the amazing graduating class!"

I clapped hard for Zeruru. His speech had been quite excellent. "Bravo, Zeruru!" I whispered.

"Thanks," Zeruru replied in a whisper. "I'm glad that's over."

"Now, we present the graduating class with their hats and their diplomas," the Head of school declared as the clapping fell silent.

I sat up straight, alert for my turn. "We now present Garuru, son of Gerere with his diploma and hat," the Head of school signaled for me to start my little parade to the dean of students.

Grabbing my diploma with my left hand and shaking with my right, I bowed my head so that the dean of students could place my hat on my head.

I looked through the visor of my helmet for the first time, feeling like a true soldier of Keron. Without a word, I marched back to my seat.

I was near to dozing off as I listened to name after name and various Keronians coming on stage to receive their diplomas. It was like looking at a selection of different ice cream flavors. Some Keronians were colored peach, pink, yellow, blue, green, navy, black—but there were no Keronians colored purple or red. I felt one of a kind.

Finally, Zaroro's name was announced. Again, I watched as she confidently strode towards the dean of students. She gracefully accepted her diploma and she paraded back to her seat wearing a pink hat emblazoned with a shuriken that saved room for the cat ear-like growths that would grow on her head when she was an adult.

Zeruru was next. He walked up to the dean of students with a look that made it seem like he was ascending to the gallows. He accepted his diploma and returned sporting a yellow hat with a shuriken on it.

Once again, there was deafening applause for the graduating class. Pomp and Circumstance resumed playing as I led the way out of the auditorium, Zeruru at my heels. Outside the door, I sunk to my knees. "Thank God that is over," I breathed.

"Your speech was very good, Garuru. Head of the class!" Zeruru replied.

"Your speech was amazing, Zeruru. I loved your stories… but they involved me…" I responded, a little embarrassed.

Zaroro ran towards us, looking so very grown up. "You guys were wonderful! I heard I was just one away from Valedictorian. But still, your speeches were so wonderful."

"Thanks," I said, a little embarrassed. "You were so amazing. While I was so nervous and worried, you were just so cool and confident."

Zaroro blushed. "I feel so weird with this hat. My ears haven't grown yet."

"Your hat is by far the coolest, Garuru. It's more like a helmet than anything else," Zeruru commented.

"C'mon. Let's look for our parents," I suggested as we tried to get through the bedlam in the hall.

"Garuru!" Mother called. "Oh, sweetie… I can't believe you're the highest in your class!"

"I like your helmet." Father tapped my head, showing his approval.

Behind me I could hear the twins' parents' voices as well as Zeroro. I turned to see Zeroro giving his brother and sister a huge hug. "Zeru, Zaro! I'm so proud of you!" he exclaimed as he gave the two a bouquet of blue roses.

This brought something to my attention. "Mom, Dad… where is Giroro?"

Mother shifted from foot to foot. "Uhh, he's at Keroro-kun's house."

"Why didn't you stop him?" I shouted, bringing the room to a standstill. "I was Salutatorian. It was my graduation, for god's sake! And you let that shit go to Keroro's house!?"

Father pulled out a bouquet. "Well, he did want me to give you this."

I numbly took the bouquet of roses. They were mostly purple but I did notice a crimson one that Giroro had stuck in. Walking outside the auditorium, I made my way towards the side lot where no one would see me. To think that my little brother, instead of coming to one of the most important moments of my life, went to play over with that ignorant Keroro idiot. It made me so angry.

I pulled out the single crimson rose. Then, placing it on the concrete, I furiously stomped its petals into the rough ground.


	9. Love Blossoms with a Side of Izeze

"This is your hometown? It's so wonderful! Look at the parks, the wildlife, the birds, the sky! Doesn't it lift your heart, Garuru?" Beautiful amber eyes looked into mine.

"You seem rather thrilled with it, Izeze." I chuckled good-naturedly as Izeze danced around the park.

"For a city girl like me, this is beautiful!" Izeze exclaimed. Her amber body squirreled up a tree.

Again, I chuckled. I never understood why I was so attracted to Izeze. Her personality was so much more energetic than mine, but ever since I had met Izeze, my life felt more whole…

"Watch this, Garuru!" Izeze exclaimed as she launched out of the tree and landed neatly in front of me. "Izeze assassin magic. I just figured it out this year."

"Wow. You are going to be an assassin once you graduate." I grinned as I stared into her big eyes.

"You still have a tail, Garuru. How cute!" Izeze flirted.

I pulled off her hat. "You haven't grown your ears yet. How sweet," I replied as I placed the hat back on her head. Then, drawing Izeze close, I planted a kiss on her lips. "I guess we make a pair," I whispered as I pulled out of the kiss.

"You'll be a sniper for sure someday," Izeze responded as she pulled my helmet down over my eyes. "If you'd get your visor off your eyes." Izeze then turned with a coy flick of her tail. "We'd better head to your parents' house, Garuru. We'll be late for Giroro's graduation."

"All right, Izeze," I replied as she ran off.

The park seemed to be a popular place to hang out, apparently. Two blue heads popped out from behind a bush. "Ha ha! Got you, Garuru." Zaroro smiled cheesily.

"Good job on the girl! She's really cute!" Zeruru added.

"Computer nerds don't get dates, Zeruru," Zaroro pointed out.

I tried to focus on Zeruru. Something seemed wrong. And then it hit me. "Zeruru… you have glasses!" I exclaimed. "And…you've grown up!"

"Ze, ze. Yeah, my eyesight has gone kind of bad," Zeruru replied. "And about the second thing, I'm surprised you haven't. You've still got a tail…"

"Oh, don't feel bad, Garuru," Zaroro responded as she rolled her eyes. "I haven't grown either."

"So, you've pursued your original careers?" I asked as the twins emerged from the bush.

"Yes, I'm becoming a medic," Zaroro replied. "And he's becoming a computer nerd."

"_Technology specialist_," Zeruru corrected. "Ze, ze. I hear that Giroro's Salutatorian."

"Really?" I asked, thrilled. I was almost proud he had followed in my footsteps. "And Zeroro?"

"Third highest in the class," Zeruru answered. "The Valedictorian is Pururu."

"Garuru-kun! Come on!" Izeze called, appearing right next to Garuru. "Oh? Who are you two?" she asked, confused.

"Izeze, this is Zaroro, and this is Zeruru. They are childhood friends," I introduced the twins, motioning to each one as I said their name. "Twins, this is Izeze. She's a student at my university."

"Nice to meet you, Izeze-chan!" Zaroro exclaimed. "It's so odd to see Garuru with a girl."

Izeze smiled. "I presume that you have a sibling in Giroro-kun's class?"

"Indeed we do," Zeruru replied. "Zeroro. He's a friend of Giroro-kun."

Izeze took my hand. "Garuru, we're scheduled to meet your parents in five minutes. No time for idle talk!"

I waved to the twins. "See you later!" I yelled back. "Give my congrats to Zeroro!"

000

I unlocked the door to the house and stepped, almost apprehensively, into my old home. "Father? Mother? We're home!" I called.

Little twittering footsteps signaled the arrival of Giroro. "Garuru! So good to see you again!" he exclaimed, his voice much deeper than what I remembered it being.

I gave Giroro a hug. "Nice to see you again too, brother. Salutatorian! I don't believe it. And Pururu-chan! She's growing up to be a fine young lady."

Giroro finally caught sight of Izeze. "Garuru, who's with you?" he asked, stepping closer to Izeze.

"I'm Izeze," she said as she winked. "And you must be Giroro."

"Indeed I am." Giroro shook Izeze's hand. "Nice to meet you, Izeze-san." Giroro turned and shouted, "Mom, Pap! Garuru's got a girlfriend! Garuru's got a girlfriend!"

"I see you haven't," I growled as I followed Giroro into the kitchen.

Mother was cooking breakfast as Father was reading the papers. "Well, it appears Giroro is correct. Who is this damsel?"

"My name is Izeze," the yellow Keronian replied. "I was in Garuru's class."

"Ah, yes, I remember you," Father chuckled. "At Garuru's graduation party."

"How long have you two been together?" Mother asked, smiling sweetly at Izeze.

Izeze and I looked at each other, trying to recollect how long we've been together. "Five years. We think," we said in unison.

"Garuru, you treat Izeze with respect. That's one devoted girl you've got there." Mother pointed at me, a dish towel in her hand.

Father folded the newspaper to sip his coffee. "Garuru, I heard from Zeruru that you've joined the Keron army! Congrats, son!"

"I joined too," Izeze added. "Garuru and I are in the same platoon. I'm an assassin."

"Really? Whose platoon are you in?" Father questioned.

"Sergeant Major Tarara," I replied. "We haven't actually met her yet. Or the rest of the platoon."

"Hmm. Tarara. A charismatic leader, but not an excellent fighter. She is an encyclopedia of survival skills and tactics," Father told us.

Izeze smiled. "Thank you so much, Gerere-san. Sergeant Major Tarara seems like a worthy leader."

"Indeed. Garuru, I think that you and Tarara will butt heads over your ideas. She doesn't like to use snipers," Father warned.

"I will keep that in mind," I answered.

"It's so good to be home," I breathed as Izeze and I walked out into the backyard.

"I wish I had a family like yours," Izeze commented as she sat on the bench. "Your family is so friendly; your parents care about you."

For a brief moment I wondered what was wrong. Izeze was acting rather gloomy—but then she perked up. "You grow roses! I love roses!" She got up and danced lightly around the roses. "They're my favorite flower, next to daisies, Garuru. They're just so elegant, so intricate."

I heaved myself from the bench and picked a yellow rose. "If I remember right, these ones are really fragrant," I commented as I held it in front of her.

Izeze inhaled, the petals brushing up against her face. "Yes, they smell wonderful."

I seized the rose in my sharp canines. We were about to kiss again when a very high pitched voice exclaimed, "Oh, Garuru! You look dashing!"

I looked up. A red face and a green face looked down at me from the roof.

"Gero! You were serious, Giroro! Grumpy-wumpy Garuru with a chick!"

I slapped my hand against my forehead. "Great. That idiot."

A green Keronian and Giroro came around the corner. "It's Keroro," I whispered. "The greatest cause of headaches Keron has ever seen."

Izeze giggled. "Hey, you two."

Keroro danced in a little circle chanting, "Izeze and Garuru, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N—"

With a well aimed kick, I sent Keroro's tailed butt into some thorns. Izeze sent me this look of pure horror, then we burst out laughing.

"Aw, come on. Kiss!" Giroro demanded, plucking a couple crimson roses. "Here. Make it romantic, too."

000

The morning sun warmed my back as I sat in the kitchen, reading the paper. Izeze was reading our mail. "Great," I grumbled as I scanned the front page. "War has officially broken out between Keron and the Viper. After preserving peace for so long…"

"War was inevitable, Garuru," Izeze replied. "The Viper are too warmongering; and the peace has always been fragile. Our economy was going down—it was only a matter of time, Garuru."

"I know. I just… hate war," I responded. "I will fight, but I don't want to know how many Keronians will have to die to reestablish peace."

With a sense of dread, I watched Izeze pull out a letter from the army. A nervous pit formed in my stomach as Izeze opened the envelope. "You know what this is, Garuru," Izeze whispered as she passed me the note. "We're called to headquarters. As quickly as possible."


	10. Hatred Blooms with a Side of Knives

The afternoon sun warmed Izeze and I as we dried off from a swim. "That was refreshing, Garu-kun!" my female counterpart exclaimed just as I shut my eyes for a nap.

"I agree, Izeze. After spending two months on the front," I murmured, breathing in deeply.

There was a few minutes of silence. Then Izeze spoke suddenly. "I heard that Giroro and his friends joined the army."

I stared at Izeze for a few seconds, a little miffed that Giroro hadn't contacted me himself. "And what's my brother's problem this time?" I asked, annoyance in my voice.

"We should go visit them, Garuru. You haven't seen Giroro in so long… you must miss him," Izeze suggested.

Now I was pissed. The last thing I wanted to hear about was my stupid brother on a good day like this. "You know something, Izeze—I don't want to see Giroro again!" I shouted, sending a couple birds fluttering out of the trees. "Ever since that day, I've no longer seen him as a brother—just a little bug that has yet to die, and is biting me still. Some little red brat who lived in my house, bringing his annoying friends to play 'suicide' and so now, I ignore him. Don't ever mention Giroro to my face again, Izeze!"

The look on Izeze's face was one of pure shock. I instantly felt incredibly guilty for shouting at her. "Izeze… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"That's fine, Garuru. I understand if you don't want to see him. But I think it would be a good thing for you. An opportunity to let go of your hate," Izeze said softly, rubbing my shoulder gently.

"You're right, Izeze," I replied, my voice shaking. "I need to let go of some pent up anger. Let's visit them after dinner tomorrow."

000

I walked slowly up to Giroro's bunker. I was feeling apprehensive, and there was nothing I loathed more than seeing his ugly face again. Izeze hammered on the door. "Giroro! It's Izeze and Garuru!"

Keroro answered the door. "Gero? I can't believe it—grumpy Garuru?!" he exclaimed in a sing-song voice.

I kept my cool. "Hello, everyone," I growled as I turned to gaze at Giroro, polishing his weapon.

"Hey, Garuru," Giroro said uncomfortably, averting his eyes. "I've heard about your fighting on the front. You're famous among the rookies."

"I am?" I asked, clueless.

"Oh, yes. Garuru kills Viper captain single-handedly. Garuru, the rising star of the Keron Forces," Giroro mocked.

"You don't have to be all sarcastic about it," Keroro muttered.

"Do you have any idea how much pressure you exert on me? Everyone expects me to be as perfect as my older brother. I'm supposed to be exactly like perfect Garuru," Giroro growled.

"And do you think it's my job to worry about my precious little brother on the front?" I retorted. "I didn't even care about you until Izeze forced me into visiting you!"

"So you're a selfish prat on the battlefield?" Giroro shot back. "Thinking only of yourself and your little girlfriend."

"Would I worry about someone who never gave two shakes about his brother? For the past few years, I've tried (and failed) to forget you exist," I spat.

Giroro's calm façade blew over in an instant. Reeling back, he landed a punch in my stomach.

I doubled over, trying to suck air back into my lungs. Wanting revenge and thirsty for blood, I socked him in the jaw.

Blood dribbled down his chin as he looked at me with feral eyes. "You'll regret the day," he muttered; then he lunged at me.

I dodged, but not fast enough. Giroro and I fell into the table, splintering it. "You'll regret the day," Giroro repeated.

Zeroro moved out of the shadows, as if to stop the fight. "Keroro-kun, he's repeating himself. Someone's going to get hurt."

Zeroro was right, unfortunately. No more than a second after he had predicted someone would get hurt; Giroro launched himself at me with a snarl. I barely rolled out of the way, causing him to smash into the floor.

"Idiot. You're always the slow one," I sneered down at my little brother, but my victory was short lived. My words only served to enrage him even more, and in a flash, he had flown up and socked me in the eye. I heard a sharp intact of breath from Izeze.

I growled as I dove in to tackle Giroro. We went down in a heap right in the pile of broken wood from the table. My plan hadn't gone the way it was supposed to: I was on bottom now, fragments of wood sticking into my back. It was all I could do to avoid crying out in pain, but a soldier never shows his weakness.

I was fed up with this. Wouldn't Giroro ever get the idea that I would always be the tougher one, the one with more battle-sense? Time to use another trick; something to buy me some time. I pulled my switchblade out, and slashed at the arm Giroro was using to hold me down.

"God!" Giroro yelped, snatching his hand back. I didn't reply except to throw him off of me and across the room. He hit the wall with a satisfying _thud_.

"Selfish prat?" I asked, crossing over to him, knife in hand. "Maybe you should take that back. But what he did next caught me totally by surprise.

Giroro flew up from where he was and twisted the knife out of my grasp. "F---!" I swore and tried to dodge as the blade covered with my brother's scarlet blood streaked in front of my eyes. How had I let him steal the knife from me? Or had I seriously underestimated my younger sibling?

It wasn't as if I had time to contemplate my errors, though. My brother would hardly allow me that sort of luxury. I picked up a piece of wood from the destroyed table, thinking that maybe I could get the knife from him with it. If it worked for that character in that Pokopenian movie, Romancing the Stone, it just might work for me.

The next time Giroro swiped at me with the knife, I tried to catch the blade in the wood. My idea was wasted, though. The knife just passed straight through the wood-- curse me for keeping my knives so sharp! If this was to be my downfall, I'd never live this down—if I came out alive.

All of a sudden, I was back under Giroro again, my own knife buried in my shoulder. The searing pain was immense. Tears came into my eyes, but I didn't let them get farther than that as Giroro tore the knife back out of my shoulder. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I smacked my brother alongside the head with my piece of wood, dislodging him from his position on top of me. That action rewarded me with another gash across my arm. I pressed my free hand against the wound.

"You… you… you…," I growled, knocking my brother onto his face as I slipped out from under him and kicked him with all the strength I could muster in the ribs.

Giroro stepped back, his eyes glued to the floor. Zeroro and Keroro tried to support him. I watched as he pressed his hand to his face. His hand was a different shade of red than usual. I watched, almost uncaringly as Giroro fell to his knees, trembling. "I'm sorry, Garuru—oh my god, I didn't mean to stab you. Oh, God, I need to run you to the hospital," Giroro blubbered before he retched all over the floor.

"No, Giroro—Pururu-chan, go take care of him," I muttered.

I too had a hand pressed to my shoulder. With disdain, I realized that my hand was the same color as Giroro.

He and I glared at each other, snarling, "I don't think you'll ever forget about me now."


	11. The Barrage

_Author's note-- I've always thought of the Keron War as the Keronian equivalent of World War one. So that's for any obvious references to World War one and All Quiet on the Western Front._

The smell of gunpowder and smoke filled my nose as I ran through the muddy trench. A nondescript wooden door barred me from my destination. Irritably I kicked some space rats away from the door to Taicho's base. I ripped through the door to find Taicho getting some shut eye. "Would you lead us for once?!" I muttered as I gently shook Taicho awake.

"Garuru-kun! What is going on out there?" Taicho asked worriedly as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Have we lost anyone?"

"Not in our platoon," I replied gruffly, "Though there have been a few casualties in the platoon serving alongside us."

"Has Darere sent for reinforcements?" Taicho inquired.

"No," I answered quickly.

"Fetch some reinforcements, Garuru-kun," Taicho commanded as she stepped out of her hidey-hole, kicking the space rats out of her way.

I saluted as I bolted down another passageway of the trench system. The mud was thick around my feet, impeding with my mobility. The rain came down hard over my head, making the mud worse.

I came around the corner to find bits of fabric and burnt flesh plastered to the wall. I hurriedly whispered a small blessing and kept on running.

I took another turn to find myself in the line of fire. Blood spattered all over my face as a well aimed grenade exploded on the tadpole in front of me. The look in the private's eyes would haunt me the rest of my life. They were so empty, so lifeless even before the grenade hit him.

Another rookie spotted me. "Look! It's Lieutenant Garuru!"

"Lieutenant Garuru, sir, please help us!" Another tadpole yelled.

First I wondered why they had no leader, but after looking at the charred bits of skeleton (all that was left of the private), I nodded grimly. "Concentrate your fire on the Viper shield generators," I commanded as I began to pick off a few of the Viper.

"Aye, sir!" the recruits replied.

After a few minutes of heavy barrage, I felt the earth rock and the buck private beside me spoke. "Shields down, sir," he informed.

"Good. Now, you need to bomb their trench like there's no tomorrow," I ordered, hoping that the recruits could grasp the idea of a barrage. Meanwhile, I let the earth shake as I continued to snipe some of the Viper.

Finally, the smoke cleared in the trench enough for the young recruits to realize that their barrage was over. "We did it!" they shouted, leaping up and down in the mud. "Thank you so much, Garuru sir!"

I turned to them. "Where is your leader?" I asked the partying tadpoles.

"Dead. He went to Tarara socho to receive some aid, but we saw him get blown up," a young female replied.

"Good work, recruits," I muttered. "I have to head back to my platoon. Keep fighting, you all."

I continued on my journey down the trenches until I was in the subterranean tunnels. There were already reinforcements ready to deploy; I was relieved that someone must have passed on the message. But suddenly I found myself face to face with a red Keronian I loathed with all my heart.

Giroro scanned me from head to toe, taking in the mud, the blood on my face, and my newly acquired accessory: a belt with a plain square clasp. "Ga…Garuru."

"You seem scared of your older brother, Giroro," I grumbled.

"I just… didn't expect you on this side of the front… is my platoon called?" Giroro stammered, his eyes making contact with mine for a brief second, then darting back down to his feet.

"Come on," I growled. "Fight alongside me. I've never seen you on the battlefield before."

My arrival seemed to have hushed the busy common room. "Garuru chui, sir! What course of action?"

"I need the platoons to be split in thirds. Desese and Temimi, take your platoons to the left. Kurara and Kijiji, take the right. And everyone else is with me," I commanded hastily.

Giroro fell into line beside me. "Garuru, I haven't seen you since—that night," my brother began. "Now you have the most hellish reputation."

"I hear a lot about you, too," I pointed out. "Maniacal knowledge of weapons, skill with any kind of gun… you're legendary."

Giroro's face glowed with elation. "Thanks, Garuru. Father would be most proud of us."

000

Laser bolts whizzed past my head as I sniped from the main trench. Taicho had not commanded me to snipe, but I figured it would save the strength of the platoon, in not my own.

I watched as a yellow Keronian shot out of the trench. "Izeze! Be careful!" I shouted as I sent a shot rather close to her.

"Go, Izeze!" Giroro cheered, releasing a couple missiles in the process. My brother turned to me. "These Viper are stronger-- especially the captains. If we used platoon deathblows, I think we could eliminate the captains."

"Taicho!" I exclaimed. "We need to use the deathblow!"

"No!" Taicho commanded sternly. "It'll waste energy."

"It's called reinforcement," Giroro argued. "Your platoon can be escorted to the trenches farther back and someone else will fill your spot."

Taicho shook her head. "Not yet," she said firmly.

"Giroro-kun! We're needed over here!" Keroro yelled. "Come on!"

I turned to look at Keroro with eyes like death. "For god's sake, don't distract everyone else," I muttered irritably.

Izeze returned to the trench, covered in blood. "Izeze!" I exclaimed through gritted teeth. "Are you injured?"

She giggled. "I'm fine, Garuru." Then her voice took on a more serious tone. "We have to use the deathblow."

"Taicho won't let us, Izeze," I replied.

As if on cue, Taicho's sharp voice pierced the air. "Center platoons! Move out!"

I climbed out of the trench, engaging my flight unit while I was at it. Soaring high above the battlefield, I felt so free from the trench and the heavy mud. I watched the red speck that was Giroro occasionally as I sniped.


	12. Heartbreak

I climbed out of the trench, scrambling over the steep, slippery sides. I engaged my flight unit while I was at it. Soaring high above the battlefield, I felt so free from the trench and the heavy mud. I glanced at the red speck that was Giroro occasionally as I sniped.

Static grinded in my ears as a transmission from Taicho came through. "Garuru-kun, we need you over with the platoon. We need to use the deathblow."

"Affirmative," I responded as I rocketed back down to earth at nerve-racking speed. I switched out my sniping rifle for a smaller gun as I landed neatly next to Izeze. "Taicho gave in to the deathblow?" I whispered.

"Yes, and then we'll have a frantic run back to the trench so another platoon can take our place," Izeze replied.

Taicho's voice cut through the mayhem. "Toriri, generate the deathblow!"

Toriri, the platoon's (as Zaroro would put it) computer nerd, generated an orange, pulsating crystal. "Catch it, Karoro!"

Karoro, the newest recruit, fumbled with the crystal as it turned blue. My heart was caught in my throat as Karoro finally caught it and tossed the crystal to Taicho.

Taicho caught the deathblow smoothly. "Garuru-kun!" she called as she tossed the now teal crystal

I leapt up to catch the crystal. For a moment, I felt its warmth in my hands as the crystal turned purple. Finally, I turned to Izeze; I carefully passed the crystal to her. "Come on, Izeze!" I cheered.

Izeze didn't even take time to recover from catching the deathblow; she flung all her weight against the yellow crystal as it hurled towards a most unfortunate Viper captain.

We didn't even take time to admire the deathblow as it collided with the Viper captain. I ran alongside Izeze in the sprint that would determine life or death.

The explosion of the deathblow caused a miniature earthquake that rocked me off my feet. I felt Izeze's hand in mine, pulling me out of the mud.

I didn't have the energy to thank Izeze as I tripped over a mound of earth. With a sickening feeling, I realized I had run into a make-shift cemetery.

A rocket landed close by, missing Izeze by mere feet. A coffin was regurgitated and its contents thrown out. The corpse was rotten beyond recognition.

I continued in my blind run, oblivious to the crosses marking fallen comrades, ignoring the mounds of earth, as more missiles shot at us.

An explosion flashed beside me. I recognized the horrified face of Karoro as her limp, charred body was thrown into the air.

As Izeze and I stumbled out of the graveyard, we lay in the cool mud, tying to catch our breath. My stomach turned as I scanned my surroundings. Izeze and I were the only ones who had come out of the barrage alive. My lungs burned from gas shells and my eyes stung. I heard Izeze gasp for breath.

I stared blankly past the graveyard. Giroro would never have lasted through the barrage.

Izeze glanced up at me. "The shelling isn't over, Garuru," she whispered as the earth just behind us lit up with fire and burst open.

Excruciating pain ripped through my body; I was tossed like a little doll through the air. I felt like my entire body was on fire as I hit the ground again. In my rapidly fleeing consciousness, I heard a sharp crack.

Finally—almost blissfully—I lost consciousness, I lost my pain, and I felt as though I'd lost my life.

000

Blinding white light greeted me as I regained consciousness. I tried to move my limbs—they still worked. Even though I had the sensation that I was swimming through some very thick liquid, only one thing was on my mind.

_Izeze._

Was she all right? Had she lived through the explosion?

_Izeze._

"Shh, the patient is waking up," a soft, feminine voice said softly.

Was that Izeze's voice?

Finally, the white light in front of my eyes cleared. Small, erratic blips filled my ears. _I must find Izeze!_ But the face above me was not hers.

It was Zaroro's face. I couldn't be sure from the smudged contours of my surroundings, but I recognized that shade of blue. "Zaroro…" I muttered unintelligibly.

"Shh, Garuru," Zaroro cooed. She turned to another Keronian. "Garuru is stabilized. And your patient, Pururu-chan?"

I still couldn't see Pururu, but contours at least were becoming clearer. "She'll have to be sent to Keron's main hospital," Pururu replied, "But she's stable too."

_Izeze. Is she alive or dead?_ I wondered. "Zaroro, is Ize—"

"Garuru, it's okay. I'm going to make sure you go home and recover. You're fixed up; it was only a broken arm, a few cuts, and some minor burns. We'll discharge you by the end of the week."

I could stand being interrupted no longer. "Is Izeze okay?" I asked irritably. "Just tell me that."

"Izeze will be transported to Keron's main hospital tonight. She'll pull through, but we can't treat her injuries here," Zaroro explained.

"Can… can I see her?" I asked weakly.

"In a moment, Garuru," Zaroro replied as she dug through a cooler. "But first, I need you to drink some fluids and eat something." She shoved a glass of orange juice in my face.

I took the glass gratefully. "Zaroro, did anyone else make it through the barrage?" I questioned as I sipped the juice.

"None that we know of," Zaroro replied.

A sinking feeling filled my stomach. Did Giroro's charred skeleton lie somewhere in the mud? "And what about Giroro?" I asked worriedly.

"He hasn't turned up yet," Zaroro responded, sitting next to me. "I hope he's okay, Garuru."

After finishing my glass of orange juice, I spoke again. "_Now_ may I see Izeze?"

"Do you think you can get up, Garuru? You seem awfully weak," Zaroro commented, almost crossly. "But if you need me to support you, just say the word."

I climbed out from under the covers, my legs shaking. I hadn't imagined that walking would be this difficult. I wobbled to and fro as I tried to get my bearings. The fact that my right arm was in a cast didn't help either. I was definitely thrown off balance from my injuries. "Zaroro, a little help?"

Zaroro supported my right side as I hobbled over to a curtain. "Pururu-chan, Garuru would like to see your patient."

A familiar pink Keronian pulled away the curtain, her face solemn. "It's not pretty, Garuru-san," she muttered.

I should have heeded Pururu's warning. Most of Izeze's yellow body was covered in bandages. Her leg was covered in plaster. An eye-patch covered her right eye. Gently, so I wouldn't disturb her, I sat gingerly on her cot. "Izeze," I muttered, grabbing her limp hand. "I had hoped this would never happen. But hope fails, Izeze."

I nodded to Pururu and Zaroro, signifying that I wanted to be left alone with Izeze. "I had hoped that we'd make it out of the war unscathed. I prayed for your safety every day, Izeze. When I was with you, my days were filled with happiness. I know that once my arm heals, I'll have to go back to the front, sans you. I'm sorry this happened, Izeze. I wanted to protect you," I murmured as I rubbed her hand on my cheek so she could feel the silent tears that were streaming down my face. "And I feel guilty, Izeze. Why did I come out with nothing but a broken arm while you'll be sent to Keron's main hospital? Why will you be left all alone to recuperate?" My chest heaved every time I took an unsteady breath.

After a few minutes, I stopped my crying. I bent down to kiss Izeze's cheek. "I'll be with you again someday, Izeze. I swear."

"Garuru!" Zaroro exclaimed. "It's important."

I pulled back the curtain to see a red lump being brought in on a stretcher. I could recognize that shade of red anywhere.

Giroro was a bloody mess. There were gashes all over his body; his shoulder was clearly dislocated. Slowly, my brother turned his head towards me, revealing the wound over his left eye. My stomach lurched—Giroro was still conscious. I couldn't help but revel at his stoicism; if I had been in Giroro's position, I would be screaming in pain. Zaroro pulled out some gauze and placed it over the wound. "Garuru, could you hold it firmly in place, please?" she demanded.

I knelt down to press the gauze on the wound. A small, blood-stained hand grabbed my broken arm. "Garuru," my brother muttered weakly.

"Hold on, Giroro," I murmured. "You're in good hands."

After a few moments, Giroro lost his death grip on my arm; he was unconscious. I gingerly moved Giroro's hand back underneath him.

"Garuru, get some rest," Zaroro whispered after a few minutes of awkward silence. "Giroro will be sent off with Izeze; he has a concussion. We'll arrange for you to be sent home tomorrow."

I climbed back into my cot, tired and very stressed. First Izeze and now Giroro! Now I wished I'd never suggested the deathblow—barrage would have been more efficient. I kicked myself for being so stupid, for causing pain on the people closest to me.


	13. Recovery

Ch. 13

The cold rain chilled me to the bone as I walked solemnly up to the house I hadn't lived in since I was 17. I had packed lightly so no one would have to help me, and I personally hoped that mother and father weren't home. They had been briefed about yesterday's events on the front, and the last thing I wanted was to be confronted by mother and father. After being discharged from the local VA hospital, I had only one thing to do—go home.

I placed my luggage down and unlocked the door. "Hey, I'm home," I called, just to see if anyone was around.

Mother ran to greet me in the hall. I was showered with a hug and several kisses on my cheek. "Garuru, sweetheart—I'm so glad you made it out alive," Mother sobbed. "You and Giroro! I'm so happy for my tadpoles. We were so worried when we heard that everyone on the southern front had been annihilated, with the exception of a blessed few. And to hear your names, that you two were alive!"

My steely façade crumbled as I saw my mother's teary face. "I love you too, mother," I sobbed, hugging her back with my left arm.

Father emerged from his study. "Garuru-kun. In all my years I never imagined you showing up on my doorstep." He scanned me from head to toe.

"Talk to him like he's your son, Gerere!" Mother snapped as she showered me with more kisses.

"Garuru, I'm proud of all I've been hearing about you on the front," Father praised as he tapped my helmet. "You've made your old man proud."

"It's so wonderful that all of the people closest to us made it out alive. Zeroro-kun especially, he's turning out to be an excellent assassin, and Keroro-kun…"

Father handed me a box wrapped in purple paper. "This is for you, son. I noted that you wear a belt now."

I ripped off the paper and tore off the lid. Inside was a black, non-descript belt with a circular clasp. I undid the clasp and carefully lifted my old belt over my head. "Thanks, Father," I replied gratefully as I fastened the circular clasp around my middle.

"The clasp was designed by your old friend, Zeruru. He placed shielding technology in it," Father explained.

"I'll thank Zeruru for this," I responded, placing my old belt in the box.

000

Nervousness filled my stomach as I hobbled over to the receptionist's desk at Keron's main hospital. I couldn't stand the smell of disinfectant that invaded every small corner. The periwinkle colored Keronian sitting at the desk scanned me from head to toe. "Lieutenant Garuru, isn't it?" she asked politely as she presented a clipboard with some sheet I needed to sign.

I averted my eyes, a little embarrassed. "Yes, that's me."

"Your brother is in room 407. You take the elevator on the left, go to level four. Giroro's room is on the right," the Keronian informed as she handed me a visitor badge.

I picked up the box I had left on my seat and found the elevator. The elevator wasn't crammed, but there were a couple younger nurses. Upon seeing me, they started to giggle. "It's Lieutenant Garuru," one girl whispered.

_So now I'm famous,_ I mused sarcastically. _Famous with a broken arm._ "I have ears, you know," I responded.

The nurses giggled again. "Sorry, Lieutenant."

I was so relieved to get out of that elevator; the girls' incessant giggling had gotten on my nerves. I turned right to find room 407. My heart was beating furiously and my nervousness had been raised several notches. I knocked on the door, more than a little apprehensive.

"Come in," a tired voice replied.

I opened the door and stuck my head into the room. Giroro had an entire room to himself. A couple books were stacked up on his bedside table, and he was currently reading a book on sports psychology.

"H-hello, Giroro," I said to break the silence. "That's an odd subject for you to read about."

"It's not capturing me so far," Giroro muttered.

"Maybe because you're reading it upside down," I replied.

Finally, Giroro recognized my voice. "Garuru, I can't believe you came," he commented as he placed the book back on the bedside table.

"I'm almost beginning to regret it," I replied. "Every female nurse seems to know me."

"If you'd see how often you're on the news," Giroro replied. "In times of war, military men are the luminaries."

I nodded absently. "It's a little awkward when you're stuck in an elevator with a bunch of giggling, immature girls."

We both chuckled. "What's it like to be back at home?"

"Oddly silent. Both Mother and Father work, so during the day, it's virtually silent. I can't tell you how odd it is to walk into my old bedroom—with all the posters from different musicals…"

"You still have that RENT one I gave you?" Giroro asked expectantly.

"Of course—with all the original cast members' signatures—why would I ever throw something like that away?!" I exclaimed, incredulous.

"Ya never know," Giroro muttered.

"That's actually a really bad song," I pointed out. "The Hairspray OBC album's Tracy is terrible. She makes me cringe."

"Not nearly as bad as that one Valjean from the London cast Les Miserables," Giroro countered. "He sounds good in only 'Bring Him Home'."

"Yeah, the song where every Valjean sings his worst," I snorted. "Not nearly as awful as the Phantom in the London cast."

"I've never heard that one," Giroro replied. "What's so bad about him?"

"He sings with the most operatic warble ever, and you can't understand a word he's saying. The Christine, however, is amazing. Better than the movie cast," I commented.

"London always produces the worst male lead-role singers. And then their little lover boys are fantastic. But if we conquer Pokopen, we'll have to make sure that you own Broadway, Garuru!" Giroro declared.

I nodded, but I didn't speak. For a few minutes, the air in the room was at a standstill

"You seemed really emotional the night of the barrage," Giroro said quietly, interrupting the lull.

"Are you surprised?" I retorted. "I have a right to be emotional when the two people closest to me look like they're near death."

Giroro finally looked at me. I stared for a few moments at the stitches over his left eye; it would surely leave a scar. "I'd suppose that I would be the emotional baby while you'd be stoic Garuru, always thinking about himself and the battle ahead."

"Is that bad?" I asked angrily. "Because if you want, I can ignore you."

"I don't mean it like that," Giroro said quickly. "I wanted to thank you, for—caring. Half of the time I out on the front I was sure you'd prefer for me to drop dead."

"Never! I may dislike you, but I wouldn't wish you dead!" I exclaimed, horrified. Then, I added, "Even though little brothers are so uncool."

"What happened to your old belt?" Giroro asked randomly.

"Father gave me this new one—Zeruru put shield technology in it." I pulled out the belt with the square clasp out of the box. "But I want you to have it," I said tenderly as I fastened the belt around his middle. "I figured if it saved my life, maybe someday it will save yours."

"Thanks," Giroro replied. "And that girl you were going out with—that Izizi person or something like that… how is she doing?"

"I have yet to visit Izeze," I responded. "It's on my list of things to do, though."

"Go visit her," Giroro demanded. "She's probably bored to death. I don't think she's had any visitors." He resumed reading his book on sports psychology.

"See ya, Giroro!" I exclaimed as I walked out of his room. But before I could shut the door, something in the room caught my eye.

On the bedside table was a vase filled with crimson roses.


	14. Baking with a Side of Explosives

Ch. 14

The morning was cloudy and grey as I sipped at my coffee while reading the paper in silence. I glanced over at Giroro; he was reading his own newspaper, his face twisted in a scowl. "We'll be wanted on the front soon, I warrant," Giroro uttered as he put his coffee down.

"Hmm. We're still considering invading Pokopen," I informed Giroro. "It would be interesting to be placed in that squad."

Giroro nodded absently. "It's too quiet in here," he said finally. "Mom and Pap aren't home during the day. It's too lonely—you're always at the hospital visiting Izeze, My friends are off at war…"

"Too quiet?! Every breakfast you wire something to explode in my face!" I shouted, but then I chose a softer tack. "Would you rather have me stay home today?" I asked. "I can visit Izeze while you take your nap."

"You would?" Giroro responded expectantly. "What would we do?"

I paused to think for a moment. "How about… we make dinner for Mother and Father?" I suggested.

"That's a good idea, but we'd have to make dinner later in the day," Giroro pointed out. "And what would we cook?"

"Hmm. How about ravioli? Does ravioli sound nice to you?" I proposed. "It would be an easy meal to make."

Giroro got up to rummage through the kitchen. "Mom and Pap saved us a trip to the grocery store," he commented. "And… could we bake cookies?"

My face softened as I remembered baking cookies when I was younger. I nodded slowly. "We can do that…"

000

I tied the apron neatly around my waist as Giroro pulled out the baking ingredients. "We still need the baking soda, the vanilla, and the flour," I pointed out.

"I have the baking soda," Giroro replied as he placed it on the counter. "I'll get the vanilla—"

"I'll be getting the vanilla, klutzy," I remarked as I reached into the spice cabinet. "You'll be the one getting the flour."

Giroro nodded, an odd expression on his face. I should have known he was planning something; the moment he handed the flour to me, it exploded in my face. I was once purple, now I was white. I took my hand (also flour dusted) and tried to clean the flour off my nose.

Giroro was laughing hysterically. "Giro! I knew I'd get you with that one!" he exclaimed, his voice hoarse from laughing so hard.

I sent him a look of pure hate. "I didn't appreciate that," I replied as I cleaned the flour off my visor. "That means you get to crack the eggs, and if I see eggshells in the yolk, I will flay you."

Giroro pulled on a very contrite expression as he set to cracking the eggs. Meanwhile, I tried to dust the flour off of me. "Giroro, I can't believe that you wired a bomb to a sack of flour."

"Come on, Garuru, it was a bit of fun," Giroro protested. "Anyway, the eggs are done. Do you want me to beat them?"

"No, I want you to touch every item you pulled out of the pantry," I growled.

"That was the only one I wired, honestly," Giroro responded as he beat the eggs.

Fortunately Giroro had decided that one exploded sack of flour was enough. I managed to mix together the dry ingredients without anything blowing up. Finally, I was ready to use the mixer. "Giroro, tell me you didn't wire any bombs to this."

Giroro shook his head. "I didn't, I swear."

I plugged the mixer in cautiously, worried about any more Giroro antics. The moment I turned on the mixer, the lights flashed brightly and went out. I tried flipping the switches. "Great. We blew a fuse," I grumbled. "There goes the whole cookies operation."

"We could just ask Doro-mota if we can finish the cookies at her house," Giroro suggested. "You know she sees us as her sons."

"Fine," I muttered, grabbing the bowl full of the dry materials while Giroro snatched whatever he was mixing together. I glanced at the contents of my brother's bowl. "I hope that isn't poisonous."

000

"Garuru-chan, Giroro-chan!" Doro-mota exclaimed. "It's so good to see you again! When you two went off to war, I was almost afraid you two wouldn't come back." She planted a kiss on each Keronian's cheek. "But why are you here, you two?"

"We blew a fuse," Giroro began. "While we were making cookies."

"So we were wondering if we could finish baking at your house," I asked, embarrassed. "I know it's a little awkward…"

"Of course you can!" Doro-mota exclaimed as she opened the door wider. "Zeruru! Your old friend is here!"

We were met in the kitchen by Zeruru. He wore big, nerdy glasses that magnified his eyes to large proportions. "Ze ze ze. Long time, no see, Garuru."

"Indeed. What are you doing at home?" I asked, confused. "Shouldn't you be at main headquarters?"

"I took my military leave," Zeruru answered lazily. "I'm not needed anyway. The front is at a lull. All I do right now is play solitaire." The blue Keronian scanned me and Giroro. "I see you were injured in the war."

I plugged in the mixer and resumed making my cookies. "That barrage on the southern front was worthy of hell. I'm surprised anyone got through it."

"Zeroro wrote saying that he and Keroro-kun had only minor wounds. I don't think their side of the trench was bombed as hard as yours," Zeruru commented. "But Giroro here wasn't so lucky."

"I wasn't too badly hurt," Giroro argued.

"And yet you managed to stay in the hospital for two weeks," I debated.

"That was for the concussion," Giroro countered.

"And that girl you were going out with, Garuru—is she still alive?" Zeruru asked, resuming his work on his laptop.

"Alive, but she's still in the hospital. I visit her every day, but I know she's lonely," I answered as I placed the cookies in the oven.

"Did you by chance see my sister on the front?" Zeruru questioned. "Is she doing well?"

I sat down beside Zeruru. Even though Zaroro's job was behind the front, I could tell that Zeruru missed his twin deeply. Zeruru was haunted by the tension between the day you receive no letters and the day you receive a letter explaining the cause of death of a loved one. "Zaroro's fine. She was actually the one who treated our injuries," I said in an attempt to comfort Zeruru.

"I'm glad," Zeruru replied, his eyes brightening. "She was so excited during med school; I knew she would end up being top-notch."

Giroro nodded. "She is so good!" he exclaimed, pointing to his half-healed wound over his eye. "She stitched this right up, no problem. She asked Pururu to do it, but she was too scared of hurting my eye."

"Ze, ze," the blue Keronian chuckled. "That's Zaroro. I'm glad she's doing well." He shifted in his chair. "What will happen to you two now? I heard your platoons were disbanded due to… well…"

I knew what Zeruru was trying to say. Our platoons had been entirely decimated. "Izeze won't be on the front lines for a very long time," I replied, "She and I were the only ones in our platoon to survive."

"Keroro and Zeroro were in my platoon, so we might become a new platoon. I got a letter suggesting it," Giroro added. After noticing my appalled face, he quickly continued with, "Keroro is a good leader when he actually focuses on the enemy."

"And how often is that?" Zeruru and I mouthed.

Giroro wasn't paying attention. "I wish I could lead a platoon," he said wistfully.

The oven went off with a high pitched beep. I dashed over to the oven so the cookies wouldn't burn. Using some oven mitts, I pulled out the cookies and placed them on the counter. "Giroro, we'll wait a few minutes for the cookies to cool," I advised as I walked back to my chair.

"I can't believe you came all the way over just to bake cookies," Zeruru commented. "But I can have a cookie, right?"

000

"Garuru! Giroro! We're home!" Mother called out. "And why is the house all dark?"

I could hear father flicking a light switch on and off. "Hmm. The power's gone."

Giroro stepped into the hallway. In his hand was a candle. "Sorry, Mum and Pap. We blew a fuse."

I beckoned into the dining room. "Anyway, Doro-mota let us cook over at her house today. We still managed to cook up dinner."

Mother look one glance at the table covered in food. "Thank you, boys. This looks wonderful."

I blushed. "Thanks, Mum. Giroro helped make the pesto?, so I'm not sure if it's poisoned."

Father chuckled. "Giroro does have a tendency to cause a disaster in the kitchen. But I thank you, sons."

Mother smiled at us. "And I like the candles. They're so much better than flashlights."

Candles.

I glanced over at Giroro, his scarlet face half illuminated, half cast in shadow. There was something so sinister in his darkened face.


	15. Letters

Time passes slowly for a soldier. The monotony of our lives cause us to lose track of time—we focus solely on keeping ourselves and our platoon members alive day after day. We become gritted and hard, solemn and silent as minutes become hours and hours become days; days lengthen out into weeks and those weeks go on for eternity.

Then there are days like today, days that are quiet and peaceful. The sun shines and for once the heavy clouds break up over the trenches. The birds sing and the men's hearts are uplifted; we sing, we dance, we converse with those around us. These days are like brilliant flashes of bright light—lifting our hearts yet blinding us to what tomorrow may be.

"It's sunny on the northern front today. And quiet too. Not a shot fired from the Viper line."

I looked up from my letters. "What did you say, Zoruru?" I asked.

The half cyborg glanced at me with annoyance. "It's a fine day, captain."

I dismissed Zoruru with a flick of my hand. My business today could not be interrupted by petty things like the weather! After slapping a couple stamps on the envelopes, I counted the letters just to be exact. _One for Izeze, one for __M__om and __D__ad, and the last for Giroro,_ I thought. The last letter I looked upon with disdain. _Mother told us to keep in contact, so keep in contact I will._

I crawled out of my dugout into the sunshine. The sun was warm and the afternoon felt lazy. I could risk a stop to the post office. It wasn't far down the trench line, but I couldn't be gone too long.

A few turns, and I met the hustle and bustle that accumulated around the post every quiet day on the front. Young recruits playing ball, veterans chatting among themselves… in all this mayhem, I would never have imagined coming face to face with a scarred warrior, who I knew only too well as my brother.

"Hello, Giroro," I said calmly.

Giroro looked down. "Hello, Garuru. I hear you're leading your own platoon."

"That's true. I hear you're with Keroro," I replied.

"I wish I wasn't," Giroro muttered.

I sat down on a bench, and motioned for Giroro to join me. "Why not? He's proving to be a great leader, you're with Zeroro-kun, one of the best RECON assassins, and I'm with an angsty half-cyborg and a few nut-jobs."

"I never did tell you how I got my scar," Giroro replied mistily.

"I always assumed that you received it in the barrage," I responded. I was worried about what he would say next. He didn't mean that he had received the scar from…

"Not so, Garuru," Giroro sighed. "Keroro gave it to me."

I had expected as much, but still, I was surprised. What could have caused Keroro to lash out at his childhood friend? "Explain," I commanded.

"I always knew that Keroro liked Pururu—they were an item during college. They definitely were a pair. Less so once the war broke out, but they exchanged letters and such," Giroro began. "Until I noticed he was watching Izeze. He didn't seem to care about Pururu anymore; Pururu must have been old hat. I wasn't going to let him ditch Pururu so easily.

"Before we were called to move out, his eyes just haunted me and I had enough. I pulled him into a dugout, more than a little aggravated. I knew that you loved Izeze. Keroro would create some stupid plan that would hurt his platoon and break your heart. I pinned him up to the wall, saying that if he tried to interfere, I would break every bone in his body.

"I would have never thought that Keroro would actually fight me to get free. But he did. Amid the flying punches, he pulled out a nail from the floorboards and raked it over my left eye. The pain was blinding, and the wound was bleeding so hard. I tried to stem the blood flow, but I knew I couldn't pull out then. So once Tarara socho called to move out, I did so. Even though I was hurt."

To say I was amazed would be a severe understatement. That Giroro had been injured for my sake seemed incomprehensible. "Giroro," I murmured, my voice failing me. "Thank you, Giroro."

"It was nothing. This scar is the glory of a warrior's face," Giroro mumbled. "Or, at least everyone thinks so."

I looked up to see the post line significantly smaller. "Thanks for sharing that with me, Giroro," I said tenderly. "I really appreciate your loyalty and I admire your bravery."

Giroro deposited his letters, all but one. "I wrote this for you." He held it out to me.

I handed him my letter in return. "And this is my letter to you."

000

Even though I presumed Giroro had told me everything he covered in his letter, I read it anyway—Giroro had put effort into writing it.

_Dear Nii-chan,_

_I really didn't feel like writing to you, but __M__om and __P__ap would like me to. I guess I should listen to them. They know what they're talking about._

_I heard you are leading a platoon now. I have to say, I'm not surprised. It was only a matter of time before you would be promoted. I'm proud, though. I could never dream of having the nerve and responsibility to lead four others. I'm not leading, but life in the Keroro platoon is not bad at all. He is really responsible in the face of the enemy. Zeroro-kun is also doing very well. I know my friends are very happy to see me back on the front. _

_Keroro has finally apologized for my scar. He jokes that it makes me look about three times tougher than I did going into the war. But remember, I fought to protect you from heartache. I hope I will have a chance to tell you the full story, but no promises can be made during this time of war. _

_Do you know how Izeze is doing? I heard rumors that she will be coming back after her leg fully heals. I find it rather hard to believe—her leg was shattered! Even though Izeze's a fighting spirit, I think she should retire or go back to school, become a nurse and serve the army from the sidelines. _

_I was very lonely the week of time that I spent at home alone. I was so disappointed to hear we weren't going back to the front together. I had a hard time cooking without you; fortunately Doro-mota helped me out. Zeruru left the same week as you, so even Zeruru couldn't keep me company._

_Nii-chan, I hope we will see each other soon. Yule's day is coming up, and if the Colonel allows us, I would like it very much if we got together Yule's day._

_Sincerely,_

_Giroro_

I placed the letter back in its envelope, admiring Giroro's neat writing compared to my sloppy short hand. I carefully tucked the letter in my knapsack, noticing that the stamp was a single red rose.


	16. Episode 101

Ch. 16

"Lieutenant Garuru! I want you to take your platoon to Pokopen," Conductor-dono informed me. "I want you to fight the Keroro platoon. They fail, you receive the Keron star, the Kero ball, and the right to continue the invasion in the place of Keroro platoon."

"And if they succeed, sir?" I asked stiffly.

"In that case, I want you to withdraw and return to Keron," Conductor-dono filled in. "Consider this a game, almost."

_Game_. I distrusted that mindset and disliked the idea of calling missions "games". Nonetheless, I nodded and raised my hand in a salute. "Aye, sir. It shall be done."

Dismissal had never felt so sweet. I knew that Conductor-dono considered us the best platoon in the Keron forces, yet there were other things on my mind. The odd relationship between Zoruru and Zeroro had never been clarified for me, and I was apprehensive due to one person… Giroro.

I had seen Giroro since the day the Keroro platoon were sent to Pokopen, when they returned to fetch their cloned leader. I had been so kind as to reserve them a ship to return to Pokopen. Hatred still burned in my heart every time I remembered that it had been him and not me.

"Captain Garuru? Am I to come with you to Pokopen?" A light pink Keronian asked me.

"Pururu, I want you to stay here. We will be fine without you," I ordered. "Inform Taruru and Zoruru that they are to be on my ship in ten minutes."

Pururu dashed off as I turned to glance at the newest member, Recruit Tororo. The deep orange tadpole laughed softly. "What is up, Recruit Tororo?" I questioned, sneaking around for a glimpse at his computer.

"Nothing, Captain, pu pu pu," Tororo assured.

I was rather sick of the tadpole's cockiness and his generally self-centered attitude. I turned next to Taruru, who had just boarded.

"I presume you want to confront Tamama Nitohei?" I inquired.

"Oh, yes! Shishou is so cool! I can't wait to see his progress!" Taruru exclaimed.

I shook my head, afraid that the Keroro platoon had not gotten anything done, regardless of how "legendary" and "amazing" the platoon had been during the war. I had known Keroro since he was a young boy and I had seen no change in him when we had served alongside each other in the Keron war.

I didn't have the heart to tell Taruru how his "shishou" might not be the coolest. I turned to the half-cyborg. "And you, Zoruru? Will you hunt down Zeroro heicho?"

"I come with you to Pokopen for that very reason," Zoruru rasped. "It is time for me to—"

I cut him off with a wave of my hand. I _never_ wanted to hear his "I hate Zeroro" rant again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pururu again. "I told you, you're staying—"

"I was just making sure that you were all set for the mission," Pururu replied flirtatiously.

My head ached every time I heard Pururu try to flirt with me. I was taken, whether or not Izeze was in my platoon. "Yeah, yeah, Pururu," I grumbled.

"What's wrong, Taicho?" Pururu asked, her purple eyes revealing her concern. "Are you thinking of your brother again?"

I glared at Pururu. "I look forward to this chance to… clean off the slate," I growled. "Now, take your leave, Pururu."

000

Most of my life I forget about the weather. My years in the trenches wore off the thrill of weather. If it was sunny-- we'd be wet the next day. But the day I was sent to Pokopen, I couldn't help but notice the sky as I battled with my younger brother high above the skyscrapers in Tokyo.

The sky of Pokopen was dotted with clouds; the shade of blue was breath-taking. I was almost ashamed I was forced to halt such a beautiful day. The sun beat down on me as I zoomed towards the heavens.

"Your opponent is me, Garuru!" Giroro shouted, bringing me back into the moment.

I nodded grimly. "So be it," I commented coldly, pulling out a sniping rifle. "But if you put up too much resistance, it won't be too easy to retreat."

"We don't know your motives," Giroro argued as he whipped around a network tower.

I narrowed my eyes. "So I see. You're still being careful," I calculated as I shot at the top of the tower, hoping to pin Giroro down.

I had never truly realized just how masterful Giroro was with all sorts of weapons. His barrage was hard on the shield my belt generated.

"Did I hit him?" I heard Giroro ask himself.

I grinned cruelly as I flitted out the smoke. "Do you know why you can't hit me?" I asked mockingly. "Because you're using the wrong gun."

"What?!" Giroro shouted, incredulously.

I summoned up my favorite (and the newest) sniping gun. "I'll use this."

I heard the sharp intake of breath from Giroro. "That's the state-of-the-art sniping rifle!"

I wasn't going to waste my breath on him. I swiftly took aim, and I had one finger resting on the trigger when an odd switch flipped in my memory.

I remembered the day when Giroro came home. I could remember so clearly how he had mimicked my facial expressions, down to the way he exclaimed "Garu!" in his bubbly baby voice. I had been excited to see my brother… what had driven us apart in the first place?

_Nii-chan._

I didn't have the heart to kill Giroro. I carefully angled the gun to shoot at his flight unit. We were over water—he'd survive the fall.

I finally yanked back the trigger. And I couldn't bear to watch as my platoon—not to mention my brother's—finally observe that I could commit fratricide.


	17. Epilogue

**Here it is. The end of Crimson Roses. There's a few people I'd like to thank: **

**Victorious Loser and Ermiene for beta reading.**

**Lacingaquanoba for helping me with inspiration**

**Cheese for tossing me suggestions**

**And Philip Quast and the Orkila staff for providing me with an ending.**

Epilogue

"_Wait! I'm not finished with you yet, Garuru!" _

_"No. I did not plan to kill you. That was my great failing."_

_A beat. _

_"You shot at the missiles, and not at me."_

_"Taruru, Tororo, Zoruru! The Garuru platoon is not yet strong enough to defeat the Keroro platoon. We withdraw from Pokopen."_

_"But wait, Garuru!"_

_"Mission accomplished."_

_"Garuru…"_

The sharp thorn pricked my hand, bringing me out of as the reverie that forced me to relive one of the hardest conversations with my brother.

For once, I could finally appreciate my brother's kind thoughts as I held the crimson rose that Giroro had sent me. I sucked on the small, bleeding wound that the thorn had left when I noticed a note that had been tied around the stem.

The note was short, yet those words made me swell with happiness.

_I hope we can get together for New Years, Keroro is giving us the few days before and after off. And by the way-- "Think of Me". I saw it on Broadway._

_Happy birthday Nii-chan. Love, Giroro._

I dumped out the box to find a folded Les Miserables poster signed by the "Dream Cast". My eyes welled with tears.

"He folded it, God damn it!" I shouted as I tried to smooth out the creases. But it was the thought that counted. "Thank you, Giroro," I muttered as I stepped outside for my evening stroll along a small winding path through the garden.

The night was crisp and chilly out in the rural country where I took my residence. The night was clear but lacked a moon.

My eyes adjusted to the dark as I placed earbuds in my ears and turned on my iPod.

The song that greeted my ears couldn't be more fitting for my birthday present from Giroro. The deep, clear voice of Philip Quast was symphonious as his bold solo reached my ears.

"_And if you fall as Lucifer fell, the flame, the sword! _

_Stars, in your multitudes, scarce to be counted,_

_Filling the darkness with order and light._

_You are the sentinels, silent and sure_

_Keeping watch in the night, _

_Keeping watch in the night._

_You know your place in skies,_

_You hold your course and your aim!_

_And each in your season returns and returns_

_And is always the same. "_

Inspired, I sat on the bench beside the crimson roses and looked up. The sight that greeted me was breath-taking, overwhelming, and strangely beautiful.

The stars.

The stars were peppered all over the sky, filling the deep blue background with little pinpoints of light. I hardly dared to breathe—it was as if I was staring at the canvas of a portrait, and any motion would send a star off kilter. I saw the especially bright specks that signified planets.

It was so beautiful, tears were rolling down my cheeks as I tried name several different stars in the Keron system—some others in Gamma star cloud, but I was scanning the skies for one planet: Pokopen.

I could not hope to know all the names of the stars speckled all over the night sky; I could never hope to know just where Betelgeuse sparkled in the sky.

But I knew one thing—that night, Giroro and I looked at the same stars.


End file.
